Ben Chilwell and Reece James among Chelsea’s 25-man squad headed to Abu Dhabi

Chelsea have confirmed their squad for their trip to Abu Dhabi. We still have around three weeks until Premier League football returns, and many Chelsea stars remain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but the Blues are ramping up their preparations for the return of club action. In a bid to replicate pre-season training conditions, Chelsea are heading to Abu Dhabi, which is just over five hours from the World Cup action in Qatar.

Graham Potter and the players he does have at his disposal will train in more than 30 degree temperatures for around a week as they prepare for the Premier League return which, for Chelsea, is against AFC Bournemouth on December 27.

During their week-long trip, the Blues will take on Aston Villa in the CBF/Al Wahda Challenge Cup on December 11, and Potter will have a 25-man squad to call upon, though the list does include some of the Blues’ injured stars, who will continue their rehab in the Middle East.

A number of youngtsers will also supplement the squad to help cover for the large number of players Chelsea have at the World Cup, while those who have exited the competition will get some time off to rest and recover. Speaking of recovery, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben Chilwell, Reece James and N’Golo Kante will be hoping to recover further from their recent injuries during the trip to Abu Dhabi, where the squad has already touched down.

Here is the squad that has travelled in full:

• Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Eddie Beach.
• Defenders: Bashir Humphreys, Alfie Gilchrist, Trevoh Chalobah, Dion Rankine, Josh Brooking, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana.
• Midfielders: Lewis Hall, Cesare Casadei, Charlie Webster, Ben Elliott, Jorginho, N’Golo Kanté, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Carney Chukwuemeka.
• Forwards: Omari Hutchinson, Malik Mothersille, Mason Burstow, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Armando Broja.