Chelsea are the Premier League club who have been affected the least by the upcoming African Cup of Nations seeing players unavailable for selection for a number of weeks.
None of the first team squad have jetted off to represent their nations, however loanee Nicolas Jackson will be looking to prove a point as Senegal’s striker.
Jackson has shaken off his international curse since leaving the club on loan, with his time at Stamford Bridge set to be coming to an end.
Chelsea fans may be inclined to keep a close eye on DR Congo, who will be taking on Jackson’s Senegal in the group stages of the competition.
Soccer - Pre Season Friendly - Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain - Yankee Stadium
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Former Chelsea wonderkid Gael Kakuta called up to DR Congo squad for AFCON
This is because former Blues youngster Gael Kakuta has been included in their squad, with Africa Foot reporting that the veteran attacker is back on the international scene to replace Mario Stroeykens following his injury.
Kakuta featured for France’s youth teams all the way up to Under 21 level, however became a DR Congo international back in 2017.
He has now played 28 games for his nation, scoring three goals, and will bring some vital experience to a country seen as an outsider at AFCON.
The winger is seemingly peaking towards the end of his career, after he was tipped for astronomical things when he was at Cobham.
Joe Cole and Gael Kakuta pictured in Chelsea training at Cobham.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Gael Kakuta is the big name who never made it at Stamford Bridge
In 2024, Eden Hazard named Kakuta as the most talented player he played with. However, he would go on to not score for the Chelsea first team.
After joining in 2009, many at the club tipped big things for the wideman, although things never worked out for him.
Joe Cole was also wowed by Kakuta when he was at the club, and it has taken him plenty of moves to find regular football and goal contributions since.
Kakuta currently features for Sakaryaspor in the second tier of Turkish football, scoring nine goals and registering five assists in 25 games.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox