Chelsea swept under Arsenal’s nose to secure a club-record £117 million ($155.8 million) deal for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.
The Blues acted stealthily while soccer prepared for the World Cup final. Rogers, a surprise starter in England’s semifinal defeat to Argentina, subsequently played the entirety of a bonkers third-place playoff with France and signed on the dotted line upon his return home.
He’ll soon emerge as one of the figureheads of Xabi Alonso’s west London project, having shone for the Villans under Unai Emery’s watch. His exact role for the Spaniard remains up for debate, even if Alonso has a plan, with supporters keen to get an idea of the new manager’s default framework before the Premier League season gets underway next month.
However, Rogers’s presence in North America this summer means he’s been granted some time to reset and recharge before the start of his Chelsea career.
Thus, he won‘t play a part in the Blues’ opening preseason friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, and may miss the club’s lengthy summer tour entirely.
When Will Morgan Rogers Make His Chelsea Debut?
Rogers is currently enjoying some post-World Cup respite. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images
Players who competed at the World Cup can be allowed up to three weeks off before returning to their respective clubs. Because England went so far in the competition and didn’t play its last game until July 18, Rogers is unlikely to join up with the rest of Alonso’s roster on their summer tour.
Chelsea have first traveled to Australia for friendlies against the Wanderers and Spurs, then are taking on Juventus and AC Milan in Hong Kong and Indonesia, respectively.
The Blues will return to London after facing Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia, and Rogers should have a chance of earning his first run-out for the club when they take on Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge a week before the Premier League season starts.
The Alonso era officially gets underway against friendly west London rivals Fulham on August 24.
Chelsea’s Missing World Cup Contingent
Enzo Fernández was sent off in the World Cup final. | Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/Getty Images
Alonso picked a 28-man roster for the club’s preseason tour of Australia and Asia, with a long list of academy starlets making up the numbers.
Those included on the roster will soon be complemented by several of those who played in the World Cup. Like Rogers, pantomime villain Enzo Fernández isn‘t expected to tour with Chelsea and should be in contention against Sociedad. Malo Gusto and Reece James also won’t feature until later in the summer.
The rest should arrive in drips and drabs.
Player Nation World Cup Exit
Enzo Fernández Argentina Runner-up
Malo Gusto France Semifinals
Reece James England Semifinals
Mike Penders Belgium Quarterfinals
Pedro Neto Portugal Round of 16
Moisés Caicedo Ecuador Round of 32
Jorrel Hato Netherlands Round of 32
Nicolas Jackson Senegal Round of 32
Mamadou Sarr Senegal Round of 32
None of Chelsea’s World Cup contingent endured group stage eliminations, but four were knocked out in the first knockout round. Moisés Caidedo, Jorrel Hato, Nicolas Jackson and Mamadou Sarr should arrive in time for their second Sydney friendly against Spurs.
Pedro Neto may also get some minutes on tour, and he’s among those who needs to convince the new manager. Quarterfinalist Mike Penders didn‘t play a single minute at the World Cup and should also be ready for action at some point.
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