Delap loses number nine shirt & trains away from first team

Chelsea striker Liam Delap has been stripped of the number nine shirt at the club. He is among several players who are now training separately from the main squad. Several players who might move before the transfer window closes on September 1st, including Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk, are part of a second training group at Cobham.

However, club sources stress that this is not a "bomb squad" approach as seen last season, when players were isolated and trained separately. Players like Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi faced similar treatment last summer, which led the Professional Footballers' Association to contact Chelsea. It is believed that the players' union has no concerns with the current approach.

The smaller group, including Tosin Adarabioyo and Disasi, trains adjacent to Xabi Alonso's main squad and occasionally shares the pitch. New signings Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson also join this group. On Wednesday, there were 12 players in this smaller group, though this number can fluctuate. Academy players are also part of the training, and movement between the two groups is still possible.

Chelsea is seeking £65 million for Jackson, who played for Bayern Munich last season, and £50 million for Delap. Disasi's asking price is £25 million. Mudryk, a 25-year-old French defender, has not played a competitive match since November 2024, but he is now free to play after resolving a doping case and is available on loan. Tosin, 28, is a target for Benfica, Marseille, and several Premier League clubs.

Chelsea is trying to reduce the size of their squad before the end of the summer transfer window, as they currently have 40 senior players on their books. Delap joined the club from Ipswich Town for £30 million last summer, but he only scored one Premier League goal in 28 appearances, with 16 of those coming as a substitute. He was given the number nine shirt, which has now been taken by Joao Pedro.