Monday night sees Chelsea FC begin their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign, and it could mark the Blues debuts of Liam Delap and Dario Essugo. Delap is the new striker signed from Ipswich Town while Essugo is a midfielder who moved over from Sporting CP.
As you can see, Chelsea have been busy this summer transfer window.
Chelsea vs LAFC FYIs
Kickoff: Mon June 16, 3pm EST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Competition: 2025 FIFA Club World Grouping D Group Stage Game
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Chelsea Team News
Their CWC roster features four notable omissions: Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Djorde Petrovic and Axel Disasi.
It is quite possible that all four of those players leave the club this summer. In the case of Sterling and Felix, the club definitely wants them gone. Ditto for Ben Chilwell, but it has been that way with him for awhile already. His omission surprised nobody.
A couple more new signings, goalkeeper Mike Penders and defender Mamadou Sarr, made the travel party, but they are not expected to feature here.
Finally, Wesley Fofana was left out, because he is still working on rehabbing from serious injury.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter