Chelsea v Swansea Preview (Premier League) – 13th September 2014

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Chelsea return from the international break on Saturday when they face Swansea at Stamford Bridge. The Blues and the Swans are the only two teams with a 100% record so far in the Premier League so something must give.

Chelsea come in to this game on the back of a 6-3 win over Everton, their third straight win this season, although that momentum has been dampened somewhat because of the international break. Swansea will feel the same, after they won 3-0 against West Brom in their last game. They’ve already been to Old Trafford and won, so they’ll come to the Bridge full of confidence and certainly without fear.

Chelsea once again have a fully fit squad available, but we could see some changes from the side that took on Everton. Jose Mourinho will likely drop one of the three central midfielders that started at Goodison Park, in favour of a more attacking line up. Andre Schurrle was unlucky to miss out at Everton, and he’ll be in pole position to come back in to the side.

Also, with Brazil in action early on Wednesday morning GMT, the four Brazilians in the squad may have to sit out. That would make Ramires the favourite to drop out of the team for Schurrle. Filipe Luis will probably continue his spell on the bench, although one of Willian or Oscar will likely start.

Despite conceding three goals in their last game, Mourinho will probably keep with the same back four. Cesar Azpilicueta has been good at left back, while Branislav Ivanovic has been in outstanding form so far this season. The Serbian has scored in two of the three games and he’s been a vital part of the team to date.

Diego Costa could have a hamstring problem, after withdrawing from the Spanish squad last week, but he should be ok in time to play against Swansea. Costa played in Spain’s friendly against France, before withdrawing from the squad the day after. He returned to Chelsea for tests and he should be able to feature. If not, then we’ll see a debut for Loic Remy after his switch from QPR. He played for France against Costa and Spain in that game, and scored the winner so is sure to be full of confidence.

As for Swansea, they have a mostly fit squad, with Leon Britton their only injury worry. Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge have been their main danger men this season from the wings, while Chelsea will also have to deal with striker Wilfred Bony and the influential Gylfi Sigurdsson. Bony, a former international team mate of Didier Drogba, was linked with a move to the Blues in the transfer window, only for the club to sign Remy instead. The Swans attack shouldn’t be too much trouble for the Pensioners’ defence though – they’ve kept a clean sheet against the Welsh side in their last four meetings.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

Chelsea Transfer Player Profiles (Summer 2014)

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Following our review of Chelsea’s fantastic transfer business earlier in the week, here is a more in depth look at the five incoming players. We know that Chelsea near enough broke even in their transfer moves, but they still spent well over £80million. So just what have the Blues got for that outlay?

Cesc Fabregas – £27m

Chelsea’s first summer signing, the former Arsenal captain looked set to return to his previous club when Barcelona put him up for sale. But, when the Gunners turned down the chance to sign the midfielder Chelsea emerged as favourites and landed the Spaniard for the knockdown price of £27million. Fabregas can play a range of positions, from defensive midfield all the way up to a false nine role.

For his price and versatility he’s a great signing, but Chelsea weren’t looking for a false nine or another holding player, they wanted a midfield playmaker. Fabregas fits that role and then some. He’s proved that in the opening few games. With Nemanja Matic, Ramires and John Obi Mikel, Chelsea had a strong, pacey midfield but they needed guile. Fabregas is the man who can thread passes through for Chelsea’s forwards, and he’s part of the reason that Diego Costa has adapted so easily after his switch from Atletico. While Costa gets the headlines, Fabregas is arguably the signing of the summer.

Diego Costa – £32m

A move for Costa was in the works since the start of 2014, when Jose Mourinho elected to wait to sign him in the summer, instead of signing a new forward in January. Chelsea met Costa’s £32million release clause early in the window but the transfer was drawn out, and Costa was eventually confirmed in the middle of July.

Costa’s arrival has brought Chelsea the thing they lacked last season, a reliable goalscorer, a world class number nine. Many asked if the Brazil-born Spaniard was up to it, given Chelsea’s track record at buying strikers, but he’s shown that he’s more than capable of leading the line in the Premier League. He’s started off with four goals in three games, and you can bet there’s more to come.

Filipe Luis – £15.8m

Chelsea’s third signing also came from Atletico, with Filipe Luis coming in to fill the void left by Ashley Cole. Cole lost his place to Cesar Azpilicueta last season, and then left the club after eight years on a free transfer. With just Azpilicueta, a right back by trade, to fill the left back slot, reinforcements were needed. Luis came in at £15.8million, and added quality in a position where Chelsea looked light.

Luis still hasn’t got his chance in the Chelsea team as yet, but that’s not really his fault. The impressive form of Azpilicueta and the exceptional performances of Branislav Ivanovic mean they are the first choice full backs at the minute, and Mourinho isn’t likely to change them unless he has good reason to. Given how he played for Atletico last season, he should fit in well when he’s given the chance and again, his signing was a highly targeted one in a position where the Pensioners were lacking.

Didier Drogba – £0

After the departures of Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba, and with Romelu Lukaku looking for a move, Mourinho brought back club legend Didier Drogba on a free from Galatasaray. Bringing him back divided many fans, with some wanting to preserve his final act in a Chelsea shirt, the winning penalty in Munich in 2012. That being said, the welcoming he got on his return against Leicester shows that many are happy he’s back.

Drogba is a fantastic addition to the Blues new look front line. While he isn’t the same player that lit up the Bridge in his glory days, he’s still a quality striker. He will add a lot to the side when called upon and as a third choice striker he’s a fantastic option. On top of that, he’ll be a great influence in the dressing room, especially since Cole and Frank Lampard have left. Drogba can be a leader, and an experienced head for Costa both to lean on and learn from

Loic Remy – £10.5m

After finishing their transfer business in July, August looked like it was going to be a quiet month for the Blues. That was until Fernando Torres secured a move to AC Milan on loan for the last two years of his contract, and left the Blues with just Costa and Drogba up front. They quickly dipped back in the market and replaced him with Loic Remy, who cost £10.5million from QPR.

Remy is a different kind of striker from Costa and Drogba, given that he’s pacey and a great finisher. He’s a more technical footballer than the other two, and he looks like good value at that price. Given that he has scored goals in the Premier League, both for QPR and Newcastle on loan last season, he should fit in right away. He’s likely to come in as second choice ahead of Drogba, and he’s a big improvement on Torres. Given Costa’s record of hamstring injuries, Remy will likely be called upon quite a few times this season and he’s a welcome addition to the squad.

After addressing their problems, sorting their business early and buying in proven, reliable players, Chelsea have done fantastically in the market this summer. The players have had time to bed in during pre-season, and that has shown in the early games. It’s early days, but the Blues look to have handled the transfer market masterfully, not least because their net outlay was minimal, largely thanks to the sale of David Luiz.

Chelsea Transfer Review (Summer 2014): Which Players Are In, Out & On Loan

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The transfer window slammed shut on Monday evening with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho taking up nothing more than a spectator’s role after his side finalised their summer dealings with plenty of time to spare. The big signings were tied up early, with the only business at the end of August being shipping unwanted players out, and finding a replacement for Fernando Torres.

If you’re struggling to remember all of the Blues’ business in the last few months, this is your guide to Chelsea’s ins, outs and loans over the summer. Here you’ll find all the moves, and a look at just how well this window went for Mourinho and Chelsea.

Players Coming Into Chelsea in the Summer of 2014

Total: £85.3 million

While Chelsea had a considerable outlay of over £85 million, they did manage to strengthen in key areas. Three new forwards were brought in, a completely new forward line, to address the goalscoring problems of last season. Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy are far better options than the blunt strikers from last season, Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o, all of whom have been moved on.

Cesc Fabregas has also added another dimension to Chelsea’s attack, and his vision and range of passing has been one of the main factors in Costa’s great start. Fabregas has been fantastic since signing, and he looks a real bargain at £27 million. Even better, he recently claimed to have just returned to full fitness, so we should expect even more from him in the future.

  • For a more detailed look at the various signing who have joined Chelsea this summer, check out our player transfer profiles article.

Players Leaving Chelsea in the Summer of 2014

  • David Luiz, PSG – £50 million
  • Samuel Eto’o – Everton, free
  • Henrique Hilario – retired
  • Sam Hutchinson – Sheffield Wednesday, free
  • Ashley Cole – Roma, free
  • Frank Lampard – New York City, Free
  • Demba Ba – Besiktas, £4.7 million
  • Patrick Van Aanholt – Sunderland, £1.5 million
  • Romelu Lukaku – Everton, £28 million
  • Isak Sswewankambo – NAC Breda, free
  • Daniel Pappoe – Brighton, free
  • George Cole – Brighton, free
  • Bill Clifford – Walsall, free
  • George Saville – Wolves, £1 million

Total: £85.2million

What has made Chelsea’s transfer business even better, is the fact that they’ve almost broken even. With a net spend of just £100,000 the Blues have managed to improve their squad, and that’s happened by selling on players at inflated prices. David Luiz is the obvious example. While the defender had a great rapport with the fans, he also had too many mistakes in his game. Getting £50 million for your third choice centre half is great business, especially when you can replace him in-house.

Romelu Lukaku went for £28 million, another good fee considering he didn’t seem to be part of the manager’s plans. With the strikeforce that Chelsea have now assembled, it is unlikely Lukaku will be missed too much.

The main departures of the summer, however, were club legends Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole. They both left after their contracts expired, as Chelsea begin to build a new team in a different style. Their exit will likely have lifted a load off the wage bill as Chelsea look to cut costs for the Financial Fair Play rules.

Players Chelsea Have Loaned Out in the Summer of 2014

  • Tomas Kalas, FC Koln
  • Wallace, Vitesse
  • Thorgan Hazard, Borussia Monchengladbach
  • Bertrand Traore, Vitesse
  • Mario Pasalic, Elche
  • Lucas Piazon, Eintracht Frankfurt
  • Ryan Bertrand, Southampton
  • Gael Kakuta, Rayo Vallecano
  • John Swift, Rotherham
  • Oriol Romeu, Stuttgart
  • Joao Rodriquez, Bastia
  • Kenneth Omeruo, Middlesbrough
  • Christian Atsu, Everton
  • Stipe Perica, NAC Breda
  • Victor Moses, Stoke City
  • Josh McEachran, Vitesse
  • Marko Marin, Fiorentina
  • Patrick Bamford, Middlesbrough
  • Fernando Torres, AC Milan
  • Marco Van Ginkel, AC Milan
  • Islam Feruz, OFI Crete
  • Nathaniel Chalobah, Burnley
  • Matej Delac, Arles-Avignon
  • Ulises Davila, Tenerife
  • Jamal Blackman, Middlesbrough

One again, Chelsea have a basically a whole squad of players out on loan. A total of 26 have made temporary moves away from the club, and it remains to be seen just how many actually have a future at Stamford Bridge. Macro Van Ginkel should come back from his spell at AC Milan ready for the first team, but one who has no future is Fernando Torres. While he’s only on loan, his contract expires in 2016, so it is doubtful that he’ll ever come back to Chelsea.

Middlesbrough have picked up a few young talents of Chelsea, due to their manager having connections with Mourinho from their time at Real Madrid. Patrick Bamford and Kenneth Omero seem to be rated by Mourinho, so it will be interesting to see how they do in the Championship.

Given all of the summer business so far, it is hard to see Chelsea doing much in the winter transfer window. It may be a similar situation to last season, that they’ll only move if they get a great offer for a player who asks to leave. Even still, they should be more then equipped for the next few months after an excellent, and prudent, summer window.

Everton v Chelsea Preview (Premier League) – 30th August 2014

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Chelsea face their biggest test of the season so far as they travel to Goodison Park to face Everton. After two wins against two promoted sides so far, Chelsea now face last season’s fifth placed side, and they’re looking to avenge the defeat they suffered here last season.

After their 2-0 win over Leicester last week, Chelsea are one of just four teams to have taken maximum points so far (the others being Spurs, Man City and Swansea). The Blues haven’t looked like they’ve gotten out of second gear so far, and they’ll have to raise their game against Everton. The Toffees drew 2-2 with Arsenal last week, despite leading 2-0 until the 83rd minute. After two draws so far, Everton will be looking to get their first win here.

Jose Mourinho has a fully fit squad available and he is unlikely to make any changes from the side that won the opening two games. Thibaut Courtois has been confirmed as the club’s number one keeper, and Mourinho has even said he’d let Petr Cech leave if the keeper requested it. We may see Filipe Luis make his debut, but Mourinho is unlikely to drop Branislav Ivanovic after his great start to the season.

In midfield, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas are the first choice pairing, and they’re unlikely to be shifted any time soon. As for the rest of the midfield berths, Andre Schurrle seems to have the edge over Willian for the spot on the right, while Oscar and Eden Hazard are automatic first choices. Up font Diego Costa will start again, while Fernando Torres, who was left out of the squad last time out, could be about to move to AC Milan on loan.

For Everton, they’ve just signed former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o, but he’s not likely to be fit enough to feature here. Another former Chelsea striker, Romelu Lukaku, is likely to play, and you would think he’ll have a point to prove. This will be his first time playing against the Blues, and he’ll be looking to show why he was treated unfairly at the club.

Everton have a number of injury worries, with Ross Barkley out for up to five months and Arouna Kone, Bryan Oviedo and Steven Pienaar all ruled out of this game. Also, Chelsea starlet Christian Atsu, on loan at Everton, will be ineligible for this one.

After their 1-0 win in this fixture last season, Everton are likely to be confident. But the problem last season was the Pensioners didn’t take their chances, and lost 1-0. They had a total of 19 shots without managing to score. That surely won’t be the same this time, with Diego Costa in great form. Mourinho will be looking to him to have a deciding role in this game and we think the visitors will just about do enough.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea v Leicester Preview (Premier League) – 23rd August 2014

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Chelsea have their first home game of the season against Leicester on Saturday, their second consecutive game against a promoted team so far.

The Blues have got their season off to a great start with a 3-1 win over Burnley, which included a debut goal for Diego Costa and a man of the match performance from fellow debutant Cesc Fabregas. Despite falling behind early on, the Blues turned it around and managed to go top of the fledging Premier League table.

They’ll be hoping for a repeat performance in the game against Leicester, as they look to continue their perfect start to the season. They’ll certainly be hoping that this game will be better than their last Premier League home game, a dour 0-0 draw with Norwich which saw the Blues’ slim title chances dashed.

Those kinds of games cost Chelsea the title last season, so it’s good practice for them to open up against teams who will “park the bus”. Mourinho said they’ve been working on breaking down defences in training, and that showed in Andre Schurrle’s goal at Burnley, a great passing move that carved the Clarets open. There were a few defensive mistakes from the Foxes in the Everton game, something that Fabregas and co could well take advantage of.

Leicester will come in to this game on a high from their opening day draw with the Toffees, and they’ll be geared up to compete here. That defeat by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last season means teams will come to Chelsea believing they can win, and the Blues will have to work hard to restore their aura of invincibility.

Mourinho should have a fully fit squad to choose from, with Ramires now back from suspension and ready to play. He may not get that chance, however, with Nemanja Matic, Fabregas and Oscar operating in a nice midfield three at Turf Moor. Thibaut Courtois is set to make his home league debut after getting the nod over Petr Cech last time out, making an impressive save and looking solid in goal.

The rest of the team is unlikely to be changed, although Filipe Luis, who was benched against Burnley because he wasn’t up to match fitness, could force his way in to the team if he is now ready. It’s widely considered to be Schurrle against Willian to join Eden Hazard and Oscar in the attacking midfield positions, and the World Cup winner should have done enough in the opener to keep his place.

The Blues face a tough game here with Leicester coming south with confidence and very little to lose. It will be interesting to see how they approach the game, and they’ll be looking to Fabregas to cut through the defence again. After spending half of the season last year making chances and missing them, then switching to a more defensive set up, we’re not quite sure what Mourinho is expecting from his men this campaign.

One thing he will be looking for is more interplay between Fabregas and Hazard. The Belgian was quiet on Monday night, and is prone to having ineffective games. Chelsea need more from him this year, and him at his best alongside Fabregas is an incredible prospect.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

Chelsea 2014/15 Season Predictions

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Despite the return of Jose Mourinho, last season saw no silverware brought home to Stamford Bridge for the first time since the 2010-11 season. After a busy summer of exits and arrivals, with over £80 million spent on new stars, Chelsea know they certainly need a trophy this season. Anything else would be considered a failure. With that in mind, here’s our look at the season ahead, including some potentially inspired (or embarrassing) predictions for the coming nine months.

League Cup

Let’s start with the first silverware of the season, the League Cup. Last season Chelsea crashed out in the quarter finals, losing 2-1 to Sunderland in extra time. That was the point last season at which Mourinho switched from an attacking style to a more defensive one, as it became apparent the Blues’ strikers just couldn’t finish.

That shows that the Capital One Cup isn’t just a vehicle for youth players, he wants to win it. He won the trophy in two of his first three seasons at the club, and he has said it is a great way of building a winning mentality in the run-in. We most likely will see a rotated squad for most of the competition, but such is Chelsea’s strength in depth that shouldn’t be an issue.

LCN League Cup Verdict: Winners

FA Cup

Next up, the FA Cup, a trophy that Chelsea dominated between 2007 and 2012, winning it four times. Having gone out to Manchester City in the last 16 last term, they’ll be looking to improve on that this season.

It’s a competition in which Chelsea regularly field a strong side, and we expect this year will be no different. But, with five or six teams potentially looking to challenge for the title, the FA Cup could become a back up to those who are out of the race by February. An FA Cup win would be a great start for Louis van Gaal at Manchester United or Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, for instance.

If Chelsea are still in the Champions League and Premier League in the final months of the season, then this competition will likely be the one that suffers. Even with a deep squad, we think the Blues will fall short in this one as they look to other targets.

LCN FA Cup Verdict: Quarter finals

Champions League

After a run to the semi finals last season, the Champions League is a very realistic target for Chelsea this season. They did look set for the final at one stage, but a second half collapse in the second leg against eventual winners Atletico Madrid saw them crash out.

After winning the Champions League in 2012 and the Europa League in 2013, another Champions League win in 2015 isn’t beyond belief. The only issue here is that while Chelsea have strengthened, many of Europe’s best have added real quality to their ranks.

The holders Real Madrid have gone out and signed World Cup winner Toni Kroos and the tournament’s top scorer James Rodriquez for a combined total of over £90 million. Bayern Munich have added Robert Lewandowski up front. Barcelona have improved the most, adding Luis Suarez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Thomas Vermaelen, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu and Claudio Bravo.

That Barca side looks a lot stronger than the one that went out in the quarter finals last season, and they look like the favourites to win it. If there was any other team that could stop those three this season, it would be Chelsea with Mourinho at the helm, but we think this is a season too soon for Chelsea with so much competition to face.

LCN Champion League Verdict: Semi-finals

Premier League

Finally, the Premier League: the trophy Mourinho lifted in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge… and there is no doubt he will want to claim a third success this season. He said several times last season that Chelsea weren’t ready to win the title. He called them the little horse of the title race, even though they beat their competitors home and away.

While they did finish off the pace in the title race, it was due to defeats against the likes of Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Had they been able to find a path through packed defences, they’d have won the title last year with room to spare.

In Diego Costa, Mourinho may just have found that path. The Spaniard (Brazilian?) looks like the perfect Mourinho player. He’s strong, aggressive, inventive and hard working. While he looked lost in Spain’s tiki-taka team at the World Cup, the fast-paced nature of the Chelsea side should suit him, as should the physical style of the Premier League. With the squad looking balanced and Costa at the front, Mourinho’s side aren’t the little horse any more. With the strongest squad in the league, Chelsea will have their eyes firmly set on the title this year.

LCN Premier League Verdict: Winners

Roman Abramovich to buy stake in Real Mallorca

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Roman Abramovich is currently in negotiations to obtain a 55% controlling share in Spanish Segunda Division team Real Mallorca. This is according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

After a successful fight with relegation during the past season, the club will play in the second division in Spain again in 2015. Real Mallorca has bounced between the first and second divisions for virtually all of its existence.

After 2010’s bankruptcy proceedings the Balearic team has had a tough time both on and off the field, but they managed to retain a spot in La Liga until they were finally relegated to the second division at the end of the 2012/13 season.

This year they completed the season just outside the drop zone, barely managing to avoid a free fall into Spain’s lower football levels.

If the reports can be trusted, Abramovich’s cash injection might help to solve the team’s financial woes and drive them back into the first league, where his team connections might also prove to be beneficial to Chelsea FC. The club might create a relationship between Mallorca and London that is not much different from that existing between Dutch team Vitesse Arnhem or Cobham and Chelsea.

Should that happen, Chelsea would have a great system for developing young players who can either not secure a UK work visa or who are simply not yet ready for English football for a variety of reasons.

Torres & Azpilicueta keen on Fabregas joining Chelsea

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Fabregas

Image Credit: Natursports / Shutterstock.com

Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Fernando Torres have called on their club to sign up Spanish teammate Cesc Fabregas for the coming summer season.

At this stage it seems very likely that Fabregas will leave Barcelona this season with the Spanish giants being prepared to consider offers for the talented midfielder.

Jose Mourinho has already confirmed that he would be interested in bringing the former Arsenal player back to the folds of the Premier League, and Azpilicueta and Torres are of the opinion that the midfielder would be an ideal addition for Chelsea.

In an interview with Movistar, Torres said that Fabregas is the type of player that Chelsea needed at the moment. He added: “Great players are always great signings. We know him well, he was one of the best players in the Premier League while playing for Arsenal and is a player who brings a lot to the team.”

Torres added that Fabregas is the kind of player that creates goals and has great ball control. “If he is made to feel important, like a leader, he has already proved at Arsenal that he can lead a team.”

Azpilicueta has no problem admitting that he’d love to see Fabregas join the Chelsea team. He describes Fabregas as ‘a special player’.

He added, however, that right now nothing was official and that Fabregas was a Barca player.

He went on to say that few squads have this type of player, a central midfielder who has an excellent vision of the game and who gets forward exceptionally well. His statistics also speak for themselves.

Diego Costa completes medical exam for €39.4m move to Chelsea

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Diego Costa

Image Credit: Natursports / Shutterstock.com

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has recently completed a medical examination as part of a potential transfer deal with Chelsea FC. If the deal is successful, the 25-year old is expected to cost the football club around €39.4 million.

The tough centre-forward scored 8 Champions League goals and 27 league goals for Atletico last season. The club of walked away as the winners in the La Liga contest and they reached the finals of the Champions League in Lisbon, where they lost to Real Madrid 1-4.

Costa is famous for scoring from the penalty spot during the semi-final of the Champions League at Stamford Bridge when Atletico beat Chelsea 3-1.

He began his European career with Sporting Braga, a Portuguese club and joined Atletico seven years ago.

After loan spells with Albacete and Celta Vigo and a stint at Real Valladolid, he went back to Atletico four years ago, spending another loan period at Rayo Vallecano during the first part of 2012.

Whilst originally born in Brazil, the time he played in Spain made it possible for him to qualify for a Spanish passport and in spite of playing for Brazil twice in March last year, he eventually decided to remain committed to the Spanish team.

He is currently training with the Spanish team in the U.S. in preparation for the World Cup.

Chelsea Players at the 2014 World Cup

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With well over two months until Chelsea get back to Premier League action, the majority of the squad will be spending their summer in Brazil, taking part in the biggest football competition in the world. No fewer than 17 of Chelsea’s current squad are making the trip to the World Cup, including a few who are set to depart the club this summer.

Here is the full list of Chelsea players who are looking to make their mark on this summer’s tournament, a list which spans eight countries and three continents.

Brazil – Luiz, RAmires, Oscar, Willian

Hosts Brazil have no fewer than four Chelsea players in their squad, and they all have a good chance of appearing in the tournament opener against Croatia on the 12th of June. PSG-bound defender David Luiz is joined by midfielders Ramires, Oscar and Willian. In total, that’s around £119million worth of talent by today’s prices. The latter three could well be returning to Stamford Bridge with another medal, as Brazil are many people’s favourites to lift the trophy for a record sixth time.

Cameroon – Eto’o

Brazil are joined in Group A by Cameroon, so Chelsea’s four Brazilians will face off against Samuel Eto’o on the 23rd of June. Eto’o only signed on a one year deal last summer, and is widely expected to move on during the close season. With Croatia and Mexico joining them in Group A, the Africans face a tough task to make it out of the group but Eto’o has one last chance to show what he can do on the biggest stage of them all.

Spain – Azpilicueta, Torres

Spain have called up Cesar Azpilicueta and Fernando Torres for the defence of their World Cup trophy. This is Azpilicueta’s second international tournament for Spain, following last summer’s Confederations Cup. Torres makes the final 23 man squad ahead of Alvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente, after finishing as top scorer at his last two international tournaments. They are joined by Brazilian-born Diego Costa, who is set to join the Blues from Atletico Madrid this summer.

England – Cahill, Lampard

Despite John Terry and Ashley Cole retiring from international football, Chelsea still have two players in the England squad for the World Cup. Gary Cahill will be there, and he’s likely to start at the heart of the defence. Frank Lampard, who is set to leave the club this summer, has been named vice captain for the tournament and should have a key roll in helping to protect a lead and close games out late on… assuming England get themselves into such a favourable position.

Nigeria – Moses, Mikel, Omeruo

African Champions Nigeria boast three Chelsea players in their squad. Victor Moses, who spent last season on loan at Liverpool, John Obi Mikel and Kenneth Omeruo, who finished the season on loan at Middlesbrough, are all included. Nigeria are due to face Lionel Messi and Argentina, but with Iran and Bosnia making up their group they have a great chance of making it to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Germany – Schurrle

Andre Schurrle is Chelsea’s only representative in the Germany squad, who are the third favourites to lift the trophy. Schurrle made the European Championships in 2012, making two appearances. He has forced his way in to the Germany team as a more regular starter since then, but with their abundance of talent he faces a fight to start in their first game of the tournament against Portugal on the 16th of June.

Ghana – Atsu

Christian Atsu joins former Chelsea man Michael Essien in Ghana’s World Cup squad, with the Black Stars set to face Schurrle’s Germany in Group G. Atsu joined from Porto last summer, and spent last season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem. Ghana face the USA in their group opener, which is a rematch of their last 16 clash from South Africa four years ago. With Germany and Portugal in their group, Ghana look unlikely to make the knock-out stages for the third consecutive occasion, but this is football so you just never know.

Belgium – Hazard, Lukaku, Courtois

Tournament dark horses Belgium have three Chelsea players in their squad, although two of them spent last season on loan. Eden Hazard is joined by Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois in the squad, but Hazard’s younger brother Thorgan missed out despite being named in the 30 man squad. This is their first World Cup appearance since 2002, but their young, talented squad means they are the fifth favourites for the trophy, according to the bookies.