Wayne Rooney picked two Chelsea stars in his current Premier League five-a-side team.
Even though Chelsea have had a mixed start to the 2025-26 campaign, there’s no doubt that they have several special players inside their dressing room.
Many fans at Stamford Bridge will feel like their Blues side isn’t ready yet to compete for a Premier League title. The young squad, as talented as it may be, lacks the experience to go the distance.
Although Arsenal still view Chelsea as potential title challengers this season, we think it’s very unlikely.
Wayne Rooney looks on following the Premier League match between Everton and Southampton.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Wayne Rooney includes Chelsea duo in five-a-side team
Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has been asked to pick his dream five-a-side team made up of current Premier League players.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Wayne Rooney Show, he said: “Phil Foden, definitely. Five-a-side, Phil Foden, tight areas, brilliant. Probably Cole Palmer as well in there. [Bukayo] Saka. I’m not having a keeper. I’ll put [Moises] Caicedo in there. He’d be the defensive one, but he can attack as well. Mo Salah. So, yeah, that would be my five players.”
Chelsea duo Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer both made the cut in Rooney’s offensive five-a-side team.
Player Club
Moises Caicedo Chelsea
Phil Foden Manchester City
Cole Palmer Chelsea
Bukayo Saka Arsenal
Mohamed Salah Liverpool
Caicedo, 23, belongs in the conversation for one of the best midfielders around right now. Therefore, it’s encouraging to hear that Chelsea have started contract talks with Caicedo about rewarding him with a more lucrative deal.
The combative defensive midfielder has started the new season on fire for the Blues, breaking up play and dictating football matches. On top of that, he’s added goals to his game by scoring four times in 13 appearances across all competitions.
As for Palmer, who’s injured until the end of November, it has been super frustrating to have him on the sidelines. Even so, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder remains one of the most gifted footballers in the entire Premier League.
Chelsea stars Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo during the Club World Cup match against Fluminense.
Photo by Justin Setterfield – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Picking a Chelsea five-a-side team
We’ve had a go at choosing a five-a-side team from this season’s Chelsea squad.
Current Chelsea five-a-side team
Reece James
Moises Caicedo
Cole Palmer
Estevao Willian
Joao Pedro
On paper, that could be stronger than anything else any other Premier League rival could produce.
There’s so much flair and excitement running through Chelsea’s young group, particularly in the forward areas. Can Enzo Maresca combine it all together to create a winning machine, though?