3 agendas for Mauricio Pochettino during pre-season for Chelsea
Chances for younger Chelsea players
Boehly and his team have signed some of the best young talent in the world. Pochettino must use this pre-season to give them a chance and see which ones are worth keeping for the season. Most of them will likely go out on loan or continue with the development squad for the season, but the current team has spots open, and one of these youngsters could step up and grab the opportunity.
In the goalkeeper position, Gabriel Slonina has a significant chance of featuring for the Blues and impressing the gaffer as Edouard Mendy completed a move to Al Ahli earlier this month. The 19-year-old had a great outing at the U20 World Cup, and the American will look to prove his mettle as the backup goalkeeper position is still up for grabs in the squad.
In defence, Malo Gusto can feature on the right side of the defence. Since Reece James has yet to travel with the team, this could be a massive opportunity for the Frenchman to show his skills. Poch could also look at Ian Maatsen and decide his role in the squad. The 21-year-old starred for Burnley last season and was one of their best players.
The midfield is wide open at the moment, and only Enzo Fernandez is a guaranteed starter at the moment. Players like Carney Chukwuemeka, Andrey Santos, and Cesar Casadei could be in line to feature in the pre-season games, and they could impress Pochettino.
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Armando Broja has not travelled in attack as he is still recovering, leaving Nicolas Jackson as the only recognised striker in the squad. At the same time, pre-season will be necessary for Mykalo Mudryk and Noni Madueke as they will look to gain momentum before the start of the season. Their performances will help the backroom staff understand the right attacking lineup for the first Premier League game.