Thomas Tuchel will give the Chelsea players not on international duty a week off before the next Premier League fixture.
According to The Athletic, those remaining at Cobham over the next fortnight shall be offered an extended rest period ahead of the Brentford clash on the 2nd of April.
Which players haven’t travelled?
The majority of the group are away with their national sides, but several have been left behind to recharge the batteries.
Some couldn’t fly across the globe even if they wanted to.
Saul Niguez is recovering from covid, Callum Hudson-Odoi has an Achilles problem and Reece James might not make the England camp due to a leg issue.
Others, such as Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ross Barkley and Kenedy, have been out of their country’s reckoning for a while.
Romelu Lukaku was not called up by Belgium, whilst Hakim Ziyech recently announced his retirement from representing Morocco.
Tuchel will be ‘rewarding’ all of these stars, plus a couple more, with a seven-day break from action, following the squad’s fine form lately.
Chelsea’s manager himself is apparently going to take advantage of the pause in play, by walking his dogs and taking his children to school.
After the mini-breather, all available members will return to the training ground and start preparing for Brentford.
Who is away on international duty?
Of course, many won’t be freed from their country until the very last minute, meaning some tinkering of the team may be required.
For example, Edouard Mendy is set to feature in Senegal’s World Cup qualifying playoff against Egypt, a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final.
The first game is this Friday, with the reverse tie next Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic could be involved in three important matches for the USA, as they fight for their ticket to the tournament in Qatar as well.
America’s final qualifier with Costa Rica is a week Thursday.
Thiago Silva may face Chile or Bolivia, whilst Jorginho should play a part in Italy’s crucial World Cup qualifying playoff encounter with North Macedonia.
