Chelsea has left out nearly £150 million worth of talent from their Club World Cup squad, including Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix. The Blues are set to head to the United States in the next few days to kick off their tournament.
Enzo Maresca’s team is scheduled to compete against MLS team LAFC in the group stage, followed by matches against Flamengo and the Tunisian side Esperance. In preparation for the tournament, the Blues manager has made several tough choices regarding his squad.
Raheem Sterling, who was brought in for £50 million, has been excluded after a frustrating loan stint with Arsenal last season. Joao Felix, who was signed for £45 million, has also been left out.
The Portuguese forward had only recently returned to Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal last summer but was loaned to AC Milan after a brief period. Defender Axel Disasi is another player who will not be included after spending the latter part of last season at Aston Villa.
However, the most surprising decision might be the omission of goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. The Serbian was expected to play a larger role following Chelsea’s failed attempt to recruit French goalkeeper Mike Maignan from AC Milan.
He had a remarkable loan period with French club Strasbourg last season and would have provided competition for Chelsea’s current goalkeepers Robert Sánchez, Filip Jorgensen, and Mike Penders.
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Nonetheless, the West London club has determined that the Club World Cup is a continuation of the 2024/25 season, prioritizing consistency among their loanees, most of whom have been excluded.
The only exception to this approach is the inclusion of Andrey Santos, who has returned to the club in preparation for the tournament. According to The Telegraph, various clubs are now showing interest in signing Petrovic on a permanent basis.
The 25-year-old was signed from New England Revolution in 2023 and made 31 appearances during his first season before being loaned to Strasbourg. He is still under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2030.
Meanwhile, Maresca has already stated his ambition to add the Club World Cup to the Conference League title that Chelsea has won.
