An English midfielder who has had EIGHT loans, a former £35m signing in the final year of his deal... and does anyone remember Baba Rahman? Chelsea's deadwood are back training and are fighting for their futures

  • Chelsea returned to pre-season training this week with some unfamiliar faces
  • Returning loanees and players not on international duty were put through paces
  • The likes of Baba Rahman and Lewis Baker were given a chance to impress
  • Sportsmail looks at each of the players and whether they can win a place back 

Chelsea fans will have been forgiven for playing a game of Guess Who? between themselves as they looked at pre-season training pics.

There was Matt Miazga alongside Baba Rahman, Lewis Baker, Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater, to name a few.

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None of them were part of the side which went on to win last season's UEFA Champions League and given the quality available to boss Thomas Tuchel, it would be miraculous if any could force their way back into contention.  

Thomas Tuchel (middle) cast his eye over some of Chelsea's forgotten men during training
The sessions are an opportunity for people like Matt Miazga to make an impression on Tuchel

But don't rule it out. 

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Youngsters like Malang Sarr and others such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek will feel they can make a lasting impression given they are on longer deals.

Others are entering the final year of their Chelsea contracts and know they need to impress or risk seeing their Blues career go out on a whimper.

Sportsmail looks at the players jockeying to impress Tuchel and whether they have what it takes to turn their Chelsea careers around.  

 

MALANG SARR 

Age - 22 

Deal expires - June 2025

Certainly not a piece of 'deadwood' but the 22-year-old knows he won't want to allow himself to fall into that category.

After running down his contract at Nice in France last summer he was picked up on a free by the Blues before being shipped out to Porto on loan. 

It was a less-than-thrilling spell in Portugal but it provided Sarr with an opportunity to pick up valuable Champions League experience - he was in the side that helped eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus in the last-16.

Seen as one for the future, Sarr may find opportunities hard to come by and whether Porto are keen or not, another loan seems far more likely than penetrating a Chelsea back-three of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva. 

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Malang Sarr (left) is a young prospect that must beware of being caught up with multiple loans

TREVOH CHALOBAH 

Age - 22 

Deal expires - June 2023

The key word with Chalobah is versatility and that makes him an interesting proposition to many clubs. 

Comfortable in midfield or defence, the England Under-21 international is another set to have to find opportunities elsewhere given the amount of stars ahead of him in both positions. 

The Express and Star have reported that West Brom have held 'positive' talks with Chalobah but they face competition from newly-promoted Brentford. 

The 22-year-old has had three loan spells away from Stamford Bridge already in his career at Ipswich, Huddersfield and most recently Lorient in France. Seemingly the next step is a Premier League loan, much like Billy Gilmour after he joined Norwich. 

Trevor Chalobah is versatile in midfield and defence and is attracting a number of suitors

JAKE CLARKE-SALTER

Age - 23 

Deal expires - June 2022

Five loan spells at four clubs means Clarke-Salter has barely had chance to get familiar with the first team training set-up at Chelsea's Cobham base.

The Chelsea academy product has had time at Bristol Rovers, Sunderland, Vitesse and Birmingham City.

Unlike Sarr and Chalobah, Clarke-Salter is out of contract at the end of this upcoming season and he knows time is running out if he is to break into the first team.

The central defender enjoyed success in his first season on loan at Birmingham but was less of a hit second time round and with Tuchel's eyes on him, this is a big summer for the 23-year-old.  

Jake Clarke-Salter (right) finds himself out of contract at the end of the current season

CHARLY MUSONDA 

Age - 24

Deal expires - June 2022

When Musonda's name is ran through Google there is a question prompt: 'Is Charly Musonda still at Chelsea?'

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Clearly people aren't sure, given the question, but yes, he is. For another 12 months contractually. 

The issue Musonda has battled with has been injuries. It is staggering to think the attacking midfielder has not played consecutive games in the last four years.

Things just haven't clicked since joining from Anderlecht in 2012 as a youth player - aged 15 -  but this is a big opportunity, even if there is a huge queue for positions in attack.

'When he was recruited, arguably at the time he was the best under-16 in world football, not just in Europe,' former Chelsea youth coach Adi Viveash told the Athletic in 2019. 'You're talking about a special talent.'

The hope is his injury woes are behind him and he can really be the one to seize his opportunity in the eyes of Tuchel. It's been a while, no doubt, but his talent is not the part in question here - it's his fitness.  

Much is expected of Charly Musonda now he is healthy again after awful luck with injuries

RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK 

Age - 25 

Deal expires - June 2024 

'Fighting is a way of life,' Loftus-Cheek wrote on Instagram this week along some pre-season imagery.

Cryptic... in a way. But it also spoke to just how important this summer is for a player that is running out of time to make his mark. 

His loan move at Fulham last season, in which they got relegated, didn't bring the level of success both sides will have hoped for. 

It will be interesting to see if he will play a key role in Saturday's first friendly against Peterborough United and whether there are any early indicators about Tuchel's plan for the midfielder. 

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Given his contract is to run until June 2024 it seems like Loftus-Cheek will be shopped around and sold rather than sent on another loan given he is no longer in the infancy of his career. 

He's got a fight on his hands to impress - and he knows it.  

Ruben Loftus-Cheek struggled to ignite at Fulham and knows pre-season is huge for him

MATT MIAZGA 

Age - 25

Deal expires - June 2022

There will no doubt be a quiz question in years to come about the Unites States defender who became the unofficial head of Chelsea's bloated 'loan army'. 

Miazga joined Chelsea in 2016 from New York Red Bulls before being moved around leagues like a chess piece.

He has made two appearances in the first team - the second of which ended in him being hooked at half-time.

But a lot has happened since, a two-year loan at Vitesse was followed by spells at Nantes, Reading and, most recently, Anderlecht in Belgium.

Chances have been at a premium and that seems unlikely to change and so it is no surprise he said earlier this month his desire is to get out of London.

'The plan is to move on, short and sweet. Honestly, that's the goal,' Miazga told ESPN. 'We'll see what happens in the window. I know there's interest and talks with certain clubs and certain people.

'I'd like to get it done on the earlier part of the summer so that I can get a proper preseason somewhere. But I think it's time to move on. Chelsea knows that, and I know that as well.'

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Matt Miazga has spoken about his desire to leave Chelsea this summer in a permanent move

LEWIS BAKER  

Age - 26 

Deal expires - June 2022

Eight loan spells and he's never played competitively in the Premier League for Chelsea. 

So, what now for Baker? 

Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Vitesse, Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Reading, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Trabzonspor is quite the resume but here he has been this week, a smile on his face back at Cobham. 

It is actually remarkable that Baker has officially been contracted at Chelsea since 2005 and yet has, in a sense, stood the test of time. 

But the time is right now to stop stringing the midfielder along and free him up to accelerate his career elsewhere. 

The loans have brought mixed success while there is no obvious spot for him in a squad that Tuchel knows needs condensing. 

Lewis Baker (left) has had eight loan spells but has never made a breakthrough with Chelsea

TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO 

Age - 26 

Deal expires - June 2022

Fair play, Bakayoko has had a truly horrendous Stamford Bridge experience since his £40m move from Monaco back in 2017. 

He had thrived in France and was expected to take the Premier League by storm as this bulldozing presence box-to-box.

What actually transpired was so disappointing that Monaco got him back on loan before AC Milan took a closer look with a loan of their own.

Chelsea's issue, to put it one way, is that he can walk away for nothing next summer, just to bring down the gavel on a terrible piece of business. 

A separation appears in both parties' interest this summer and while there is hope for someone like Musonda, it seems the ship has already sailed for Bakayoko.  

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BABA RAHMAN 

Age - 27

Deal expires - June 2022

Remember him? 

Rahman made the move to Chelsea from German side Augsburg in 2015 for €25million (£21m) but is another to find himself shy of opportunities. 

Much like Miazga and others, most of Rahman's Chelsea experience has actually been away from Cobham and Stamford Bridge. 

A loan at Greek club POAK Thessaloniki last season was a success and he helped them win the Greek Cup.

Ghana SoccerNet are reporting that another loan beckons to run down the remainder of his contract with Augsburg believed to be exploring the possibility of a reunion. 

With Ben Chilwell the big-money acquisition at full-back last season it seems all routes to the first team are blocked for Rahman. Another who knows it is time to go. 

Baba Rahman's chances of securing a full-back spot were weakened when Ben Chilwell arrived

ROSS BARKLEY

Age - 27

Deal expires - June 2023

There are many on this list that, even if they won't say it, have already had their Chelsea careers written off. 

That cannot be extended to Barkley, even if he has plenty of work to do to win Tuchel round.  

The 27-year-old was loaned out by then manager Frank Lampard last season to Aston Villa and during his loan spell he scored three goals in 24 appearances.

Back in training on Tuesday, it was Barkley's first training session under Tuchel as he hopes to impress the German on his return to the club.

His spell at Aston Villa was mixed and while he put in some great performances at the start, most notably in their 7-1 victory over Liverpool, he also battled injuries and soon struggled for form. 

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Pre-season is a huge opportunity for the English midfielder and his aim will be to add to his 86 appearances at Chelsea. 

Two years remaining on his deal mean he could be sold to generate cash for other deals Chelsea want to do and if that is the case there is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors that are crying out for some creativity.  

Ross Barkley returned to Chelsea training this week after a year-long loan spell at Aston Villa

DAVIDE ZAPPACOSTA

Age - 29

Deal expires - June 2022

Out of contract next summer - unless Chelsea trigger their option to extend for a further year - Zappacosta's time in England appears to be accelerating towards its end destination. 

Interest from Inter Milan, after they sold Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain, could tempt Chelsea into securing Zappacosta on fresh terms to protect their asset and earn more money from any deal. 

But hope that Zappacosta, 29, can force his way back into the set-up seems fanciful given England pair Chilwell and Reece James look set to be the long-term pairing at full-backs. 

A loan at Roma in 2019-20 was ruined when he suffered a horrendous anterior cruciate ligament injury while he spent last season with Genoa. 

It's a tad too early but soon it will be arrivederci to the once £25m signing.  

Davide Zappacosta (left) is attracting interest from Inter Milan after they sold Achraf Hakimi

DANNY DRINKWATER 

Age - 31

Deal expires - June 2022

Having not played for Chelsea in three years, the chances of Drinkwater impressing to the point where he dislodges one of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic or Mason Mount seem incredibly remote. 

But, nonetheless, he is back getting stuck in at Cobham, desperately trying to win the support of Tuchel.

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Drinkwater, 31, spent the second half of the 2020-21 season on loan at Kasimpasa in Turkey. 

He featured 11 times for them following his January switch but failed to register a single goal or assist which doesn't massively help his case back in west London. 

Plenty was expected of Drinkwater when Chelsea plucked him out of then-champions Leicester City for £35m but it just hasn't worked. 

Many of Drinkwater's 23 appearances came under Antonio Conte and while he recently accepted he 'has a long way to go' to get back into contention, he is refusing to give up hope of winning a spot in the first team again.  

Danny Drinkwater hasn't played for Chelsea since 2018 but he is refusing to throw in the towel