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Despite starting against Wycombe Wanderers, Lucas Piazon wasn't involved in Chelsea's second pre-season friendly and apparently hasn't been included in the travelling squad that flew to Austria on Wednesday either. All signs point to him either having really annoyed Jose Mourinho or being set for a loan move very soon, and some recent comments indicate that it's the latter.
I will try to keep improving myself and have a good season. It is time for me to grow up and do something that will keep me in the plans for Chelsea.
It’s where I want to play. It’s a club I really like and where the people treat me well from the day I first arrived. If not, I must show another club what I can do but I came from Brazil when I was 17 to play for Chelsea and that is still the target for my career.
I know it is difficult, they have the best players in the world. That’s why we are all going on loan, to improve ourselves and try to be back one day.
-Source: Mail. (emphasis mine)
Piazon's had a rough 2014 so far. After an incredible spell with Vitesse in the first half of the 2013/14 season, the young Brazilian tailed off badly, and is no longer at the point where his name gets mentioned among Europe's top prospects. That said, I'm impressed by the comments -- he's not acting as though the club owes him anything and recognises the need to step up.
Where will he go? It might be Vitesse again in hopes that he can recapture his scintillating from from late last year; it might be Elche, who already hoovered up Mario Pašalić and will be hoping to improve their squad further as they battle the drop in La Liga. One thing's for sure, though: it won't be Chelsea.