The international break is now underway and there are set to be 12 first-team Chelsea players remaining at the club’s training base in Cobham over the next 11 days
The third international break of the season is now upon us. The good news is that it is the final international break of 2025, but the bad news is that we are 12 days away from when Chelsea next play a football match.
While a large chunk of the Blues squad are jetting off around the world in the very near future to represent their countries, there are 12 first-team players in total that are set to remain at the club’s training base in Cobham. Cole Palmer is set to continue his recovery from a persistent groin problem that has complicated the 23-year-old’s season to date.
Chelsea are hopeful Palmer will be able to return to action later in the month, with the back-to-back matches against Barcelona and Arsenal earmarked. While Palmer is not yet ready to return to the grass with his teammates in Surrey, the England international is likely to spend the international break in the gym as be builds up his fitness.
Benoit Badiashile will also stay in Cobham over the break with the Frenchman nearing a return from the injury that has kept him out since the start of last month. Elsewhere, Enzo Fernandez withdrew from the Argentina squad over the weekend due to a knee injury that he has been nursing for a little while.
“I’ve been talking with the medical staff [of the Argentina national side] because I’ve been dealing with a knee problem for four months,” Fernandez said to ESPN’s SportsCenter after Saturday’s win over Wolves. “I’ve had bone edema that became worse in recent weeks due to the number of games I played.
“We made the decision together that I should rest for these two weeks, since the important part comes at the end of the season. It was very good to have discussed it and decide together that this is the best thing for my knee.
“I’m in a lot of pain. I’ll try to recover as much as possible over these two or three weeks and be 100% ready to train and play with my teammates again.”
Pedro Neto has too withdrawn from international duty with the 25-year-old winger suffering a groin injury against his former club Wolves on Saturday evening. Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo have both been struggling with their fitness in recent weeks but the South American duo will both represent their nations over the international break.
Fortunately for Joao Pedro, Brazil are taking on Senegal at the Emirates Stadium in north London and Tunisia at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, meaning there is not too much travelling on the cards for the Chelsea forward, as well as his teammates Estevao Willian and Andrey Santos, who too have been selected by Carlo Ancelotti.
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Caicedo, meanwhile, has been chosen for Ecuador for their upcoming fixtures against Canada at the BMO Field in Toronto and the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey.
Robert Sanchez will stay in the UK, while Filip Jorgensen has been selected for Denmark for their games against Scotland and Belarus. Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Jorrel Hato and Wesley Fofana have all not been picked for their nations and will remain in Cobham to work with Chelsea during the break.
Marc Cucurella will travel with Spain for their matches against Georgia and Turkey, while Malo Gusto will represent France against Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Reece James is the only Chelsea player in the England squad for their upcoming games with Serbia and Albania.
Josh Acheampong, Tyrique George and Jamie Gittens will all play for England Under-21s for their double header against Republic of Ireland and Slovakia. Marc Guiu will represent Spain Under-21s for their clashes with Albania and Serbia over the week or so. Facundo Buonanotte, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap will all remain at the club’s training centre after not being selected by their respective countries.
