Chelsea kick off their Club World Cup campaign next week in the United States
Their list of excluded stars for the competition has been revealed in a new report
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By LUKE POWER
Published: 03:05 EDT, 11 June 2025 | Updated: 03:05 EDT, 11 June 2025
Chelsea's squad will remain divided going into a new season as Enzo Maresca has reportedly excluded at least four men going into the Club World Cup.
The Blues kick off their campaign next Monday against Club Leon of Mexico before further group fixtures against Flamengo and ES Tunis.
Last summer Maresca made the hierarchy clear as he banished 13 stars to train away from the first team in the development facility with Carlo Cudicini.
Now, the manager has excluded Djordje Petrovic, Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, and Axel Disasi from his tournament squad, according to The Telegraph.
All four spent at least the second half of the 2024-25 season out on loan. Petrovic is a particular surprise given Chelsea's goalkeeping situation and his impressive performances on loan at Strasbourg.
Meanwhile, fellow Strasbourg loanee Andrey Santos, as well as new signings, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, and Mamadou Sarr, have been included.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has reportedly axed four players from his Club World Cup squad
Djordje Petrovic is perhaps the biggest surprise after doing well on loan at Strasbourg
There is also no room for Raheem Sterling after an unconvincing spell away at Arsenal
Santos is the exception to the rule, with other players who were sent out on loan being sidelined as Chelsea see this as an extension to the 2024-25 campaign.
Sterling struggled for starts at Arsenal, Disasi was a rotation player at Aston Villa, and Felix endured a tricky loan spell at AC Milan, even being branded 'useless' by Italian journalist Fabio Ravezzani.
Chelsea would have liked to be naming Jamie Gittens and Mike Maignan in their troop for their American trip but were spurned on the miniature deadline day.
Borussia Dortmund rejected Chelsea's second offer of £42million for Gittens and the Blues chose not to increase their offer, with the Bundesliga giants wanting closer to £55m.
The second transfer window of the summer will re-open on Monday and any signings after then can be registered for the knockout stages of the Club World Cup.
Chelsea's approach for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan collapsed after they refused to meet the asking price.
The west Londoners valued the 29-year-old France international, who has a year left on his deal at the San Siro, as high as £12.7m.
But Milan wanted as much as £20m and were happy to impose a 'Club World Cup tax,' on Chelsea, knowing they are set to bank some cash from the tournament.
Joao Felix's stint with AC Milan has not seen him earn a place back in Maresca'a side
Axel Disasi (left) has also reportedly been left out ahead of the tournament in America
Chelsea are targeting more silverware after lifting the Europa Conference League last month
Andrey Santos will be given an opportunity after impressing during his loan at Strasbourg
That saga makes Petrovic's exclusion more surprising, because they are left with Filip Jorgensen, Robert Sanchez, and Mike Petrovic, none of whom have made an overwhelming case for the gloves long-term.
While Chelsea's deal for Maignan fell through, they did complete the signing of defender Sarr from Strasbourg for £12m on Monday morning.
That took the club's spending this summer to £60m already, having finalised moves for Delap and highly rated Sporting Lisbon prospect Essugo.
Maresca will get a better feel for his side ahead of a demanding season which entails a return to the Champions League.
Chelsea won the Europa Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League last season.