Chelsea will report back to their Cobham training ground on July 2 for pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Thomas Tuchel has almost completed his first full season in charge of Chelsea after his initial five months in the 2020/21 campaign which saw the Blues lift the Champions League.
It’s been a challenging time for Chelsea this term. Injury problems, Covid infections and issues off the field have made life hard for Tuchel throughout the season, but they’ve managed to navigate through all of the problems they have faced.
Chelsea can look forward to next season despite the uncertainty placed over the club’s future, and when they will be able to look into the transfer market to shape and add to their squad with the takeover yet to be finalised and completed.
Tuchel wants it resolved as soon as possible to offer some clarity ahead of their return in July, a date the Chelsea head coach gave when his players will report back for pre-season duties following some much-needed time away to refresh and reset.
The Blues head coach revealed all of the players will come back on July 2, while Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi will report back slightly earlier to carry out their individual programmes.
“He will come early in pre-season like Chilwell,” Tuchel admitted on Hudson-Odoi, “to start a programme to be back on July 2 with team training.”
Next season still remains uncertain for Chelsea. Several players will depart, including Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, which will force Tuchel into a rebuilding job, not improvement, as they look to replace players.
Tuchel knows it won’t be straightforward but is up for the challenge as he tries to get Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League next season.
He added: “We are hoping (to be back to normal) but at the moment we are not. You ask many times if we have a delay in approaching players and making plans, of course a huge delay. We are affected by it, players are going out. We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging but we are up for the challenge. I don’t know where we are from day one.
“What I can promise is that I will be here if I can promise that! I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see. On how the delay and sanctions will affect us, there is a risk.
“It will be very challenging to make up for the disadvantage, given the situation of the other two teams – City and Liverpool who are already improving the squad and set one benchmark after the other in all aspects of the game. Things are not easier for us.
“Normally I would say we arrive in good spirit and the right mindset on the first day of preparation then we create an atmosphere, work ethic and put all in to be ready on the first matchday of Premier League to win the game.”
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