Chelsea news: The Blues face Borussia Dortmund in Chicago as the final stage of their pre-season tour of America with Mauricio Pochettino left with questions to answer

Mykhailo Mudryk is a doubt for Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund. (Image: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

 

Chelsea’s summer in America is coming to an end. It’s been a good one so far even with plenty of unknowns still to unpack. In the coming weeks their young squad will be tested against a more experienced Liverpool juggernaut as well as the first taste of Premier League action for many of these players.

The 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦-faced touring party of USA has performed admirably and much better on the field than Thomas Tuchel’s aged veterans of 12 months ago. The true challenge will be how this fares come August 13 and the opening game of the competitive season.

For now all they can do is continue to put themselves through the Mauricio Pochettino physical ringer and be ready to face the hardest test yet. Borussia Dortmund await them in Chicago as an early curtain raiser against European opposition, not something fans will be treated to once the real show gets underway.

It is a last chance to experiment and form meaningful bonds on the field with 10 days between this and coming face-to-face with Jurgen Klopp’s side. For some it will be their only chance to feature.

Young goalkeeper Eddie Beach has been a passenger to the tour so far but that is perhaps expected given his age. Elsewhere Noni Madueke has been unable to play having come into the tour with a niggle.

“He’s in Philadelphia, a little tightness in his hamstring but it’s not a big thing,” Pochettino explained ahead of the 2-0 win over Fulham.

“It’s only Madueke that suffers. Maybe it is a thing that can be sorted in the next few days.” The attacker has since posted on Instagram, writing: “You’ll see me soon.”

Having come back from the Under-21 European Championships not in peak fitness, Madueke missed the final having played a key role until that point, leaving him behind in his preparation for the new season.

Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the action against Fulham as well but that was a precaution with Pochettino explaining that he was tired. He is likely to return to the team here.

One player that isn’t expected to play is Trevoh Chalobah. He was forced off once more having also hit trouble against Wrexham in the first game of pre-season. The Cobham graduate has played his fair share of minutes this summer but is a potential candidate to leave the club after Axel Disasi completed his medical ahead of a move from Monaco to SW6.

“I hope it’s not a big issue,” Pochettino said on Sunday. “We need to assess now. It doesn’t mean it is big. It was a precaution but we need to assess him the next few days. We don’t believe it is big but hope also.”

There could be a debut incoming, though. Lesley Ugochukwu was announced as a Chelsea player on Tuesday with Pochettino opening up on the deal. “I think today is going to be his first training session with us,” he said.

“He’s a young, talented player. We don’t know if he will have the possibility to play tomorrow because we need to assess him. Now is time to assess him until the end of the transfer window and see if he is going to be with us or the way the club signed, maybe it can be a different possibility to loan or stay with us.

“We need to assess him when he starts training with us today and then in London after the tour.” Disasi has not yet been completed but could be in-line to feature against Liverpool.

Meanwhile it awaits to be seen how fit Mykhailo Mudryk is as well. He has been in and out of the side and didn’t feature against Fulham. Coming back with some fatigue of his own from the Euros with Ukraine Under-21s, he is a doubt for the game.

Elsewhere it is a full fit squad for Pochettino in America, though a group of first team stars do remain at Cobham as they continue to recover from injury.

Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga , Gabriel Slonina, Jamie Cumming, Lucas Bergstrom,

Defenders: Thiago Silva, Malo Gusto, Alfie Gilchrist, Bashir Humphreys, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen, Levi Colwill, Reece James

Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lewis Hall, Lesley Ugochukwu

Forwards: Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Mason Burstow, Diego Moreira, Angelo Gabriel

Soucre: football.london