Chelsea have returned for pre-season training, with Thomas Tuchel’s side having won their first match 6-1 in a behind closed doors friendly against Peterborough United.
They will subsequently face Arsenal and Tottenham in front of almost-full stadiums as part of a series of matches to raise funds for Mind, the UK's leading mental health charity, and the three club's respective foundations.
As first revealed by Goal, prior to these matches, Chelsea have a summer training camp in Ireland following their return to training on the week commencing July 5.
Below, we bring you all you need to know about the Blues plans for pre-season and who will be involved...
Chelsea pre-season 2021 fixtures & results
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off time (UK) | TV / Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17 | Chelsea 6-1 Peterborough United | AM | N/A |
| Jul 22 | Drogheda United vs Chelsea (cancelled) | N/A | N/A |
| Jul 27 | Bournemouth 1-2 Chelsea | 7.45pm | Chelsea's 5th Stand App (Free) |
| Aug 1 | Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea | 3pm | Chelsea's 5th Stand App (£7.99) |
| Aug 4 | Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham | 7.45pm | Chelsea's 5th Stand App (£7.99) |
Chelsea began their pre-season match action with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Peterborough, which they won 6-1.
That game was set to be followed by a similar game against Drogheda United in Ireland, but the game was cancelled due to a suspected Covid-19 case in the Blues camp.
After that, Tuchel's side played Bournemouth on July 27, winning 2-1, before contesting 'The Mind Series'.
They have over 70 senior players on contract, so they often arrange separate friendlies for a loan team to stay match fit ahead of summer moves.
The Mind Series
Chelsea's return from Ireland is ahead of a three-game London tournament named the Mind Series. However, before that they faced Scott Parker's Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The Blues began the Mind Series tournament by beating Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, August 1, before drawing 2-2 with Tottenham at Stamford Bridge three days later.
Getty Images
Which players will be involved in Chelsea's pre-season?
Chelsea began their preparations without a host of key men, given the Blues had more representatives at Euro 2020 than any other club, while Thiago Silva reached the Copa America final with Brazil. They have all been given extra time off to recover.
However, Christian Pulisic returned early from international duty with the United States to ensure that he has a proper pre-season.
The American attacker has been joined in west London by several other stars who did not participate in any major summer tournaments, including the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The most interesting aspect of Chelsea's pre-season squad is that it contains a host of players who spent last season out on loan. They are now training under Thomas Tuchel – who took over as manager at the tail end of January – for the first time.
Indeed, the first few sessions at Cobham featured Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Matt Miazga, Baba Rahman, Armando Broja, Malang Sarr, Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, Conor Gallagher, Lewis Baker, Jake Clarke-Salter, Ian Maatsen, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Jamie Cumming and Ike Ugbo.
Tuchel is offering everyone a clean slate, meaning everyone included in his pre-season plans will have a chance to impress before the club decides whether to make any major moves in the transfer market.
The same goes for both Dujon Sterling and Charly Musonda, who are back with the first team having had long spells on the sidelines with injury.
Meanwhile, Andy Myers's development squad have friendlies away at Celtic, Derby County and Stoke City. They then face Portsmouth at Cobham ahead of away fixtures against senior non-league sides Woking and Boreham Wood.
The Under-23s Premier League 2 season gets underway on the weekend of August 14.
Will Chelsea's new transfer signings be present?
Chelsea aren't thought to be close to bringing in many new faces, despite having long-held an interest in signing a world-class No.9.
Dortmund's Erling Haaland and Tottenham's Harry Kane head up the Blues' shortlist of strikers but both deals have been described as "complicated" by club sources.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain beat Chelsea to the signing of former Inter wing-back Achraf Hakimi from Inter, after the Londoners were put off by the Morocco international's wage demands.
However, Chelsea still hold an interest in signing a central midfielder, and West Ham's Declan Rice and Rennes wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga are two possible targets.
Chelsea could also snap up a central defender but they are awaiting the outcome of contract talks with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. That's because both of their deals expire in less than a year.
Bayern Munich's Niklas Sule and Real Madrid's Raphael Varane are options that could be explored at a later date.
The Blues did bring in Marcus Bettinelli, with the former Fulham goalkeeper signed to add depth in that department following the departure of Willy Caballero.
When does Chelsea's season start?
Chelsea's season starts earlier than most, with their UEFA Super Cup showdown with Villareal at Windsor Park in Belfast earmarked for Wednesday, August 11.
Just three days later, they welcome Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge for their opening Premier League match.
That kicks off a difficult run of fixtures for Tuchel's side, who must face Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City in their following five games.
Chelsea's Premier League fixtures for the 2021-22 season in full
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