According to various reports, Chelsea will be taking on Drogheda United tonight as part of preseason training camp at Carton House in Maynooth, just outside of Dublin, Ireland.
UPDATE: IT’S BEEN CALLED OFF
PREVIOUSLY:
As with out first preseason match, this encounter will not be televised, nor streamed, and there probably won’t be any highlights shown either, at any point in the near or distant future. There’s hardly a mention of this match on any of Chelsea’s official channels, let alone any information about the opposition or kick-off time. So all of this may be wrong, since all we’ve got to go on are unofficial sources.
Told Chelsea’s pre-season friendly tomorrow is against Drogheda United. Kick-off 6.30pm. Game will be played at where Chelsea are based outside of Dublin.
— Adam Newson (@AdamNewson) July 21, 2021
Date / Time: Thursday, July 22, 2021, 18.30 BST; 1:30pm EDT; 11pm IST
Venue: Carton House, Maynooth, Ireland
On TV: none
Streaming: none
Chelsea team news: The numbers present in the traveling squad have gone down by a few since the start of preseason, with several players either involved in transfer or left behind for apparent medical reasons. Still, there are well over 20 players present, and that should allow Thomas Tuchel to give everybody a little bit of action, just like against Peterborough, in the first preseason friendly.
With the biggest first-team stars set to return shortly following their post-Euros holidays, this may be one of the final chances for many of the fringe players to impress — though we could conceivably squeeze in another training ground match between now and the first televised friendly of the summer, Tuesday at Bournemouth.
Drogheda United team news: Unfancied opposition or not, The Drogs (no relation to Didier) are currently in the middle of their season in the League of Ireland, and thus should provide a solid challenge at least in terms of fitness — though they do have a big Cup game this weekend, so they likely will be rotating plenty as well.
Unlike two years ago, when we got to say hi to St Pats’ Conor Clifford, there are no former Chelsea prospects kicking about in Drogheda. Oh well.
Previously: Speaking of the Drogs...