Chelsea FC are about to commence their preseason slate. Having played, and more importantly won, the FIFA Club World Cup, they have not staged a preseason friendly yet. That will change this weekend, when Bayer Leverkusen comes to west London. This match could mean Blues debuts for summer signings Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and Estevao.
Blues supporters everywhere will be excited to see the new transfer window additions in action.
Club Friendly FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Bayer Leverkusen
Kickoff: Aug 8, 7pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Team News for Both Sides
Injury wise, Wesley Fofana remains out as a long term injury absentee, but he is the only player confirmed to miss out.
Chelsea have no new fresh injury concerns, but the quartet of Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia were battling some fitness issues around the time of the finale triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.
So they might be totally fine to feature here, but we’ll see.
Shifting gears to Leverkusen, they have no new injury issues to contend with either. However, they have certainly seen a lot of their stars leave for other clubs this window.
Said first year manager Erik ten Hag: “One can’t prevent players from leaving in top-level-football.
“That’s just the way it is.
“But it’s best if four or five players don’t leave in one transfer window, because then it becomes much more difficult to continue the process.”
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