Chelsea FC announced, shortly after manager Thomas Tuchel’s pre-match press conference today that midfielder Ross Barkley left the club by mutual parting of ways. So thus ends the Blues career of an ex-Everton man who joined the club one summer, but got cold feet during the medical and then went back to Goodison Park. Barkley then joined the club the next summer, this time for good.
Barkley was a fringe player at best for the London club, but he still won silverware here and thus this transaction qualifies as a “team news” item for the midweek match against Southampton. Now let’s look at the rest.
Chelsea at Southampton FC FYIs
Kick off: 7:45pm, Tuesday August 31, St. Mary’s Stadium
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction at Southampton: go here
After Extra Time Podcast: Spotify Apple
PL Position: Chelsea 6th, 7pts Southampton 13th, 4pts
Form Guide: Chelsea WLDW Southampton LWDL
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 61% Southampton 17% Draw 22%
Chelsea Team News
The Blues will be without the suspended Conor Gallagher in the middle of the park, but central defender Kalidou Koulibaly returns after having served a one-game ban. N’Golo Kante remains out with a hamstring injury, while Marcos Alonso isn’t available due to his impending move to FC Barcelona.
Tuchel spoke to his news conference today about how he still wants to get more new players into the club before the transfer window closes on Thursday. Chelsea have been linked with several players in the market recently, but the two most likely to get over the line between now and the deadline are Leicester defender Wesley Fofana and Everton attacker Anthony Gordon.
“Right now we could need more players in some positions but it’s close to the end of the transfer window and when Sept. 1 comes I will be a happy coach no matter what happens,” Tuchel said.
“I will try to find solutions and not think about what could have happened.”
Stay tuned. Watch this space. All that jazz.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.