Chelsea confirm 19-man squad for Valencia, leave Marcos Alonso at home

Chelsea have taken just one over the bare minimum number of players needed for tomorrow’s match against Valencia in the Champions League group stages, with 19 players confirmed in the traveling squad who touched down in Spain earlier today.

That’s 11 starters, 7 substitutes, and 1 third goalkeeper, young Jamie Cumming.

Absentees include injured quartet Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Antonio Rudiger, and Ross Barkley. The latter two are apparently back in training, but did not travel.

The one healthy scratch is left back Marcos Alonso, who’s featured just once in the last four games (after starting 10 of 11), since Emerson recovered from his injury, and has apparently fallen below even Cesar Azpilicueta in the left back pecking order — since Azpi’s our best left back, that’s not altogether surprising though.

The full traveling squad for Wednesday’s must-win against Valencia in the Mestalla is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero, Jamie Cumming

DEFENDERS: Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma, Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Fikayo Tomori, Emerson

MIDFIELDERS: Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount

FORWARDS: Tammy Abraham, Willian, Pedro, Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic, Michy Batshuayi