FIFA new World Cup rule set to affect six Chelsea players next season
The football season will undoubtedly be disrupted by Qatar 2022, and Chelsea’s team’s physical preparedness will be put to the test. In the months leading up to the World Cup in November, the Blues will play some hard football, and Thomas Tuchel will anxiously watch to see if his players can emerge unhurt.
The decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar during the Northern Hemisphere winter was made more than ten years ago. The apex of the football season will instead begin on November 21 and conclude on December 18 in Doha to avoid the summer heat.
As was the case for Euro 2020 last summer, FIFA said on Thursday that plans for each country to name a 26-man squad had been accepted. On this particular occasion, though, every member of the group will also be eligible to be picked to the matchday squad.
A statement reads: “Given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments, the Bureau has decided the following… The maximum number of players on the release list has been increased from 35 to 55. The number of players to be included on the final list has been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26.
“The final matchday at club level for the 23 to 26 players nominated on the final list will be 13 November 2022. No more than 26 people (up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials – one of these officials must be the team doctor) will be allowed to sit on the team bench.”
Along with those who were on loan, such as Ethan Ampadu, Michy Batshuayi, and Romelu Lukaku, who is scheduled to return to Inter Milan on loan, Edouard Mendy, Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Marcos Alonso, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Timo Werner, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic, are all likely to Each could profit from more rotation possibilities during the competition, but they could also face the challenge of even tougher competition.
The regulation modification might offer others the ideal chance to submit a last-minute bid for a spot on the national team roster or lock down a position that had previously been questionable.
Since he recently missed out on EURO 2020, Marcos Alonso has been in and out of Luis Enrique’s Spain squads over the past 12 months. However, if he were to secure a position, he might earn a more stable spot alongside Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard’s future at Chelsea may be in doubt, but now that he has been selected for Spain’s newest Nations League group, he may feel more certain about a trip to Qatar.
Gareth Southgate may be more inclined to visit Stamford Bridge next season as he formulates his preparations as a result of the greater squad opportunity. Conor Gallagher has already spoken to Tuchel about his first-team goals, so his attempt to qualify for the World Cup will undoubtedly have a bearing on where he views his future this summer. Gallagher remained a member of the Three Lions team for the remaining Nations League games, but some may have thought he was a peripheral candidate. His position might be secured by the extra bodies.
Ben Chilwell will be a strong possibility to enter Southgate’s consideration after his injury recovery. Nevertheless, with the announcement, the former Leicester star will have a tiny bit more flexibility. If he is fit, there won’t be much of a reason to keep him at home, even if his reintegration takes a little longer than it did last season.
The additional space might also encourage some underdog competitors to make a late surge. 2018 World Cup participant Ruben Loftus-Cheek put on several standout performances for England. Although it hasn’t even been said that he would move to Qatar, the uncertainty surrounding Jorginho’s future and N’Golo Kante’s injury problems suggest that a late push may be in order. For Trevoh Chalobah, it might also present the right chance. Given England’s recent performances, there may not be many guaranteed spaces in the backline for the 22-year-old, who trained with Southgate’s team when he was 18 years old. Given Chelsea’s summer business thus far, the England manager may opt to play a back three, and Chalobah is positioned to spend a significant amount of time as a member of one.
The biggest possibility Callum Hudson-Odoi has of traveling to Qatar is if, after having represented England at several young levels, he decides to transfer his national allegiance to Ghana. Even though he has previously preferred to stay at Cobham to develop himself rather than make use of under-21 call-ups, if he can overcome his injury concerns and secure a berth in Tuchel’s side at the start of next season, perhaps he might take advantage of the three extra spots.