Xabi Alonso Faces Early Disruption in Chelsea Tenure
Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea tenure has its first bump in the road before a competitive ball has even been kicked.
The new head coach will head to Australia and Asia without two of his summer recruits, with Emanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda both absent from the 27-man squad named for the club’s pre-season tour.
Early disruption to Alonso’s plans
Chelsea’s travelling party for the camp in Sydney includes new defender Marco Palestra, the latest big-money arrival at Stamford Bridge after his £43 million move from Atalanta. Alonso will get an immediate look at the Italian centre-back as he starts to shape a side in his own image.
He will have to wait for a proper look at two other new faces.
Emegha, signed after a deal was struck with Strasbourg, and Quenda, brought in from Sporting Lisbon, have both officially joined the club this summer but will not board the plane with the rest of the squad.
Emegha injured after scoring in behind-closed-doors win
Emegha’s absence at least has an explanation. According to British outlet The Sun, the 23-year-old Dutch striker suffered a hamstring injury during a closed-door friendly against League One side Bromley, a game Chelsea won 3-0.
The setback came on a day that had started perfectly for him. João Pedro, Jimmy-Jay Gittens and Emegha all found the net in that warm-up fixture, the new forward getting on the scoresheet before pulling up and being forced off.
For a striker trying to impress a new manager and a new fanbase, it is a cruel interruption.
Quenda left out with no explanation
Quenda’s situation is less clear. The 19-year-old Portugal right winger has been omitted from the touring squad, but the club has not disclosed the reason for his absence.
For a teenager arriving from Sporting Lisbon and hoping to use pre-season as a launchpad into the first team, missing this tour is a significant blow. The mystery around his omission only adds another layer of intrigue to an already busy summer at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have not ruled out a change, though. Both Emegha and Quenda could yet join up with Alonso’s group later on the tour if their respective situations improve.
World Cup run keeps key men at home
Alonso’s options are further thinned by the after-effects of the World Cup. Several key players are still on their post-tournament breaks after going deep into the competition with their countries.
At the top of that list is Morgan Rogers, the headline £117 million signing from Aston Villa, whose integration into the squad will have to wait. Club captain Reece James is also resting after a long campaign with England and will rejoin the group later in pre-season.
For now, Alonso works with what he has: a 27-man squad, a new defensive lynchpin in Palestra, and an attack already hit by injury and uncertainty.
The tour will offer clues about his Chelsea blueprint. The real question is whether two of his summer bets, Emegha and Quenda, will be on the pitch to help draw it.
