After a couple days off and half-day flight to Japan, Chelsea are ready to resume preseason preparations with another weeklong training camp, plus two more friendlies, first against J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale (Friday) and then against Barcelona (next Tuesday).
While the training camp in Dublin involved 35 players altogether, the squad on tour has been trimmed to a slightly more manageable 24.
That number will grow by at least one, when Christian Pulisic arrives (sometime today) and might grow by at least one more, if Willian does show up as well (though he was still nursing a hamstring injury when he went back to Brazil last week).
The one surprise absence is Ethan Ampadu, who apparently picked up some sort of injury last week is heading out on loan.
Lampard explains Ethan Ampadu s absent because he could be going on loan for the season. He is a big fan of the player and wanted to sign him on loan for Derby last season, so is hopeful he can play a lot of games somewhere this year.#CFCinJapan
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 16, 2019
The squad that landed this morning in Japan, in full, is as follows:
GOALKEEPERS: Arrizabalaga, Caballero, Cumming
DEFENDERS: Alonso, Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson, Tomori, Zappacosta, Zouma
MIDFIELDERS: Barkley, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Jorginho, Kanté, Kovačić, Mount
FORWARDS: Abraham, Batshuayi, Giroud, Kenedy, Palmer, Pedro (+Pulisic)
Spirits were just as high on the plane as they were in camp last week. Hopefully that continues for a long long time.