Chelsea are heading into the new season with a fractured squad, as new boss Enzo Maresca has opted to leave out at least four players from his Club World Cup plans.The Blues will begin their tournament journey next Monday, facing LAFC in their opening match, followed by group games against Flamengo and ES Tunis.Looking forward to watching Chelsea in the Club World Cup. pic.twitter.com/7LIgJwGnsI— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) June 9, 2025 Maresca, who didn’t hesitate to draw a line last summer by relegating 13 players to train separately under Carlo Cudicini, has again made bold decisions. This time, Djordje Petrovic, Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, and Axel Disasi have been omitted from the squad.Interestingly, all four spent the latter part of the 2024–25 season out on loan. Petrovic’s exclusion raises eyebrows, especially after a strong stint at Strasbourg and Chelsea’s current need for a reliable goalkeeper.Afternoon: Chelsea trust the 4 keepers they have Evening : petrovic not going to the club World Cup Chelsea fans : pic.twitter.com/QZsB3ijVHA— OB (@CFC_OBED) June 10, 2025 Collectively, the quartet cost the club a hefty 145.4 millions—Petrovic (14m), Sterling (50m), Felix (42.7m), and Disasi (38.7m). Their loan spells did little to boost their value: Sterling barely featured at Arsenal, Disasi played a backup role at Aston Villa, and Felix’s difficult time at AC Milan even drew harsh criticism, with Italian pundit Fabio Ravezzani calling him “useless.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8972695##
