John Terry marks Chelsea FC’s first day of pre-season training
Chelsea FC unveiled the 2016/17 away kit. John Terry took to Instagram to confirm training has begun. A month of anticipation starts now.
Club captain John Terry’s future was in doubt during the previous tumultuous season. Today, temporarily secure on his one-year contract, he posted on social media that the squad was back together to begin their pre-season training.
Even though Terry is secure, a few players whose future at the club is uncertain. Loic Remy is likely on his way out after Michy Batshuayi signed. Oscar and John Obi Mikel were used more from the bench for the Blues last season and have been linked to moves away. Victor Moses is another perennial loanee who is unlikely to see much game-time for Chelsea in the upcoming campaign.
Equally intriguing will be how the transfer rumors settle out to determine their replacements. If Terry takes another picture like this on August 15th, many of the players pictured at the table could have been replaced in time for the Premier League opener.
A big positive for Chelsea fans is the sight of Kurt Zouma at the table. His knee injury is scheduled to rule him out until a month or two into the season. Zouma is a freakish athlete, so an early return should not surprise anyone. He was back to running not long after his injury.
The club confirmed on their website that players not involved in the knockout stages of Euro 2016 would be reporting for duty today.
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Coming at the end of a full week at Cobham, Antonio Conte’s “official” unveiling is expected on Saturday. The ceremony will kick off a season of tremendous work for an underachieving Chelsea team.
With Conte a notorious hard-worker of his teams, Chelsea players may spend a lot less time on social media during the season. Instagram may be a luxury or a distraction in Conte’s eyes if the team does not perform up to his standards. Hopefully, the Blues will win with focus and discipline so the on-field product does not interfere with Michy Batshuayi’s social media domination.
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A smiling group of Chelsea players is something that fans did see much of in the 2015/16 campaign. The combination of time off and the energy surrounding Antonio Conte seems to have revitalized the players’ spirits and team cohesion. It’s a small sign, but an important one, for Chelsea’s return to form atop the Premier League table.