A Chelsea player could make his first appearance for the side at the Club World Cup despite signing for them in January 2023.
Chelsea finished the 2024/25 campaign with a 4-1 win against Real Betis in Wednesday’s Conference League final in Wroclaw, Poland.
However, despite there being no international tournament this summer, Cole Palmer and his teammates will not have long to celebrate their triumph due to them taking part in the newly-formatted 32-team Club World Cup.
The tournament will run from June 14 to July 13, with Chelsea’s first match scheduled for June 16.
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However, a play-off will be held to determine whether Enzo Maresca’s side plays Los Angeles FC or Club America in their first fixture.
And during the tournament, a 21-year-old Chelsea star, who has yet to make his debut despite signing for the club back in January 2023, may finally get his opportunity.
Andrey Santos joined the west London side from Vasco da Gama and upon his arrival said: “This is a big club playing in big competitions like the Premier League, so I am very excited.
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"The players here are so good, and I am very happy to be here."
But despite him seemingly looking forward to playing in the Premier League, this hasn’t happened, and instead he was shipped out on loan to Vasco, Nottingham Forest and Ligue 1 side Strasbourg - owned by BlueCo, a consortium including Todd Boehly.
During the 2024/25 campaign, the Brazilian central midfielder registered 11 goals and five assists in 34 appearances for the French outfit.
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Speaking to the Mail, Santos opened up about the conversation he had with the club about playing at this summer’s tournament.
“The only conversation I had was that I would play in the Club World Cup for Chelsea, and after that we’ll see what happens,” Santos said.
"I think Enzo Maresca was very sincere with me, and I liked that sincerity,” he added. “Also, when you look someone in the eye, when you're sincere, you build trust with the player. So I accepted that and went to Strasbourg to get minutes. And now, God willing, we'll see how it goes at the Club World Cup. I hope everything goes well.”
"It was a very difficult moment in my career – the beginning at Chelsea, with loans and no games at Forest, especially because I was very young," the midfielder explained.
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"I was always ready to train, always fit to play, but unfortunately, I didn't get an opportunity there with the coach at Forest.
"But I never stopped working and I was sure that when the opportunity arose, which it did here at Strasbourg, I would be ready."
Topics: Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, Football, Cole Palmer, Premier League
Luke Davies