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Two weeks before Chelsea wherein a state of doom and gloom in the London based side with uncertainty over their then manager Antonio Conte and reports of star players Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard wanting to leave the club for Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Fast Forward to today, the situation has improved drastically with an air of something magical being expected by the Chelsea fans with the announcing of new manager Maurizio Sarri along with new signing Jorginho from Napoli.
The 2017 Champions had a very poor season last year finishing outside the Champions League spot in 5th along with a Round of 16 defeat against Barcelona and semi-final defeat against Arsenal in the League Cup with the 8th FA Cup victory the only bright spot in a rather dull season for the London based club.
Maurizio Sarri is without hosts of players who took part in the 2018 World Cup among which are Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois both of whom have expressed a desire to leave the club with Real Madrid being a potential suitor. David Luiz, Cesc Fabregas, and Pedro have been added to the squad in spite of speculation leading them as players who are likely to leave Chelsea.
Blues Pre-season schedule
The Blues start off their pre-season fixtures with a trip down under as they face off against Perth Glory at the Optus Stadium in Perth on the 23rd of July followed by International Champions Cup match against former treble winners Inter Milan in the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice on 28th of July and city rivals Arsenal in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on the 1st of August.
Chelsea then travels to Wembley to face reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Community Sheild, the traditional curtain-raiser for the English Football, on the 5th of August and end their pre-season with a match against Lyon on home soil on the 7th of August.
Chelsea Squad for the match against Perth Glory
Goalkeepers: Marcin Bulka, Jared Thompson, Bradley Collins
Defenders: David Luiz, Ethan Ampadu, Fikayo Tomori, Michael Hector, Tomas Kalas, Marcos Alonso, Emerson, Davide Zappacosta, Ola Aina
Midfielders: Cesc Fabregas, Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley, Mario Pasalic, Jorginho, Kasey Palmer, Pedro, Lucas Piazon, Charly Musonda Jr.,
Forwards: Callum Hudson-Odoi, Alvaro Morata, Tammy Abraham
23 July: Perth Glory v Chelsea, Optus Stadium, Perth
