Chelsea faces a conundrum as the start of next season approaches, with a large number of players expected to be called up for the Olympics.
Men’s football at the Paris Games runs from July 24 to August 10, and concludes the week before the new Premier League season begins. It is an Under-23s competition, and while each country is allowed to select three older players, Chelsea may suffer due to the large number of young players in their team.
Malo Gusto is expected to be selected by hosts France, who will be led by Thierry Henry and have promised to field their greatest available side.
Benoit Badiashile, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Wesley Fofana are all eligible for France, while Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk are eligible for Argentina and Ukraine, respectively.
Gusto has been one of Chelsea’s top players this season, and losing him, Fernandez, or Mudryk would cause a significant upheaval to their plans.
Clubs can deny call-ups because the event is not recognized by FIFA, although they may be in a tough position if players show a desire to play.
France hopes to persuade Kylian Mbappe to become one of its over-age players, and the opportunity to win a gold medal alongside him at a home Olympics will appeal to French players.
Argentina has stated that the “door is open” for Lionel Messi to become one of their senior players, making playing in Paris a more appealing prospect for Fernandez.
Chelsea will travel to America for a pre-season tour at the end of July, and the Olympics will clash with their trip.
Losing players so close to the season is not ideal, and there is also the risk of injury and the possibility of players needing time off and missing the start of the season.
Chelsea are not the only Premier League club in London that may be affected. Arsenal’s centre-back William Saliba is also eligible for France.
Saliba withdrew from the France squad for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, allowing him to continue his pre-season with Arsenal.
He is also anticipated to be in France’s Euro 2024 team this summer, and it seems unlikely that the French Football Federation (FFF) will ask him to play in both.
However, Mbappe has previously expressed his desire to represent France at the Olympics, saying, “I hope I’ll be there. Everyone knows I’ve always wanted to play in the Olympics.
FFF president Philippe Diallo recently stated that Arsenal icon Henry should select a solid roster, saying, “Our aim is to build the best team possible.”
If Mbappe plays, he may try to convince Saliba and the greatest young players in France to join him.
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Oleksandr Zinchenko could be deemed a marquee over-age player in Ukraine, although Tottenham’s Bryan Gil and Alejo Veliz are eligible for Spain and Argentina, respectively.
Egypt has held conversations with Liverpool about the possibility of include Mohamed Salah, but his rejection for Tokyo in 2021 renders it improbable.
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