In four weeks time Chelsea will have touched down in the USA and be preparing to take to the field for their opening training session ahead of a game against Wrexham the following day. Mauricio Pochettino is yet to officially take charge of the Blues but there is not long until Chelsea's stars will start making their way back for the beginning of pre-season.
Already some Blues academy stars have been seen keeping their fitness up with personal trainers, some even preparing themselves at Cobham before the development squad's official return. There remain plenty of questions ahead of the flight across the Atlantic however, with the travelling party being far from certain.
It is approaching 12 months since Pochettino and his team were sacked by PSG, and the former Spurs boss has only taken charge of the World XI side in Soccer Aid since departing the French capital, so the build up to the Premier League season may be just as much about getting himself ready, in addition to his team.
football.london takes a look at how Pochettino can give himself and Chelsea the best platform to succeed moving forwards.
Phase players in correctly
Pre-season is starting to loom but many players have barely had a rest. While a number of academy players and the likes of Marc Cucurella and Trevoh Chalobah have been able to schedule time off and work with personal trainers, others have barely had a break due to their international commitments. The Blues have no shortage of stars in international action with Christian Pulisic having cause to celebrate following USA's CONCACAF Nations League victory ahead of the Gold Cup, Kepa Arrizabalaga having Nations League success of his own, with a number of others finishing off stints with their national teams this week.
The likes of Armando Broja could see himself introduced early to pre-season, possibly building his fitness with Chelsea's younger age groups following the serious injury that has kept him out of action since September. Others may see their return delayed due to the under-21 European Championship with Levi Colwill, Noni Madueke, Ian Maatsen and Mykhailo Mudryk set to be involved.
No doubt, Pochettino will be keen to cast an eye over his talents himself ahead of some big decisions this summer and building a much fitter team following Frank Lampard's concerns during 2022/23. With a tough first game against Liverpool followed by a series of matches the Blues must take advantage of, Chelsea must be fit to hit the ground running.
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Decide who has a future
There is certainly no shortage of speculation around Chelsea players and their futures. From Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and N'Golo Kante possibly heading to Saudi Arabia, Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City, Ruben Loftus-Cheek to AC Milan, a possible transfer for Conor Gallagher to possible farewells for Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameayn, Pochettino's Chelsea side could look very different to what Thomas Tuchel took to the USA 12 months ago.
That squad saw the likes of Ross Barkley, Marcos Alonso and Michy Batshuayi included, players who had no future at the club, and while Chelsea are looking busy in the early parts of the transfer window, they are unlikely to have the squad they dream of by the time their flight is scheduled to leave the tarmac. Perhaps Pochettino can offer some opportunities to youngsters to stick around for the tour too.
That could leave Pochettino with some brutal decisions of who to place his focus on and to shape the squad to a more manageable number. With Christian Nkunku to arrive, and momentum building behind the transfer of Nicolas Jackson, the new Chelsea boss may have new faces to adopt into the squad, and they should probably take greater priority. Making those deals official in time for the early days of pre-season is equally important.
Create a better atmosphere
With the uncertain make-up of the group will come concerns for Pochettino, and they may drive his decisions. Lampard highlighted an issue with the number of disillusioned players at Chelsea towards the end of his tenure. Pochettino must look to avoid that atmosphere creeping into the early days of his time in charge and ensure enthusiasm is high as he tries to put across his ideas.
Noni Madueke, who only joined the club in January, believes there is a harmony that can be taken advantage of.
He said: "The boys are great and we’ve got a really good harmony in the dressing room because we believe we’ll turn it around next season. It’s been a great few months of learning for me with some successes too, on an individual note.
"Everyone here has huge aspirations, individually and collectively, but I feel like the process we’re in right now is just about getting a little bit better every day, getting better every game, and growing closer. It’s for the future – we are trying to build the foundations now for a successful club and team."
Along with hard work and intensity, Pochettino must looked to harness a collective feeling that it seems was lacking last term to help Chelsea turn things around.
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