Seven talking points from Chelsea's US pre-season tour

Chelsea ended their pre-season circuit of nan United States talking astir fixing their protect issues aft a 2-1 conclusion by Real Madrid.

The Blues travelled astir nan US and played a gruelling 5 matches successful 5 states successful 18 days, winning once, drafting once, losing 3 times and conceding 12 goals.

Here are 7 talking points from a circuit that has taken Chelsea from Santa Clara to Charlotte.

Chelsea person not mislaid assurance successful their youth-first attack contempt 2 underwhelming years nether nan caller Todd Boehly-Clearlake ownership, which has seen them neglect to suffice for Europe successful nan first season, and only suffice for nan Uefa Conference League successful a second, improved season.

The Blues person spent astir £115m connected 8 players pinch an mean property of nether 21 - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Estevao Willian, Marc Guiu, Filip Jorgensen, Renato Veiga, Omari Kellyman and Caleb Wiley.

That mean could spell moreover younger arsenic Chelsea are expected to motion 18-year-old goalkeeper Mike Penders from Gento and 20-year-old striker Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid.

In position of large sanction signings, location is besides liking successful Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who could beryllium progressive successful a switch statement pinch Romelu Lukaku.

Social media graphics of their 45-man elder squad, external - which includes 7 registered goalkeepers - person gained traction this week.

But location remains a belief wrong Chelsea that - contempt wide disapproval of nan club's transportation activity - this attack will yet reap rewards for Chelsea, BlueCo arsenic a whole, and RC Strasbourg who are portion of nan multi-club group.

Chelsea are group to instrumentality a new, slower and possession-based style of shot nether Enzo Maresca.

This has already been evident successful nan club's pre-season circuit of nan US and it demands players accommodate to nan manager's approach, alternatively than him accommodate to his players.

It has meant teams connected tour, for illustration Manchester City and Celtic, person been capable to unit mistakes arsenic players struggle to accommodate to high-risk moves playing retired from nan back.

In fact, half nan 12 goals conceded successful pre-season were from mistakes playing retired from nan back, including 3 of nan 4 against City.

There are besides problems pinch nan players people defaulting to a precocious protect statement without pressing good aliases pinch intensity, a characteristic of nan play Maresca blames connected "habit from past year".

Other features of nan strategies are underlapping full-backs, man-to-man marking and 2 very precocious number eights occupying spaces successful a five-man attack.

The precocious risk, precocious reward style carries nan aforesaid halfway principles evident successful nan Italian's Championship title-winning Leicester squad past season.

Interestingly, these principles are expected to beryllium implemented crossed nan nine and into BlueCo pinch RC Strasbourg - maintained moreover if location is simply a request to alteration nan head again successful nan future.

One of nan reasons Mauricio Pochettino near by communal consent was owed to a quality successful sentiment connected nan club's semipermanent tactical identity.

Christopher Nkunku has played 398 minutes, much than immoderate different subordinate during nan circuit and looks group to person a starring domiciled this play - if he tin enactment fit.

Like past summer, nan Frenchman again excelled successful pre-season and netted 3 goals successful 5 matches connected tour, playing successful respective different positions, including arsenic a striker and cardinal midfielder.

Last summer, Nkunku suffered a knee wounded successful nan last match, which began a concatenation of different injuries to limit him to conscionable 2 starts past season.

Nkunku said he wants to enactment fresh first and spot wherever his shot takes him, admitting that he is still "not 100%".

But Maresca intelligibly likes nan versatile prima and said: “Christopher [Nkunku] was injured for almost each of past play but I knew from Germany really bully he is. He has amazed maine but it is not a large [surprise]."

Maresca was asked by BBC Sport whether nan circuit schedule was optimal mentation and he said: "Five games successful [14 days] and 17 aliases 18 days successful full is simply a lot.

"We didn't hole nan games pinch nan training convention for illustration we are utilized to doing during a normal season. Some of nan games, we conscionable prepared pinch a video aliases nan tactical board.

"For me, nan existent pre-season has been nan 2 weeks astatine Cobham and nan week aliases 10 days we person [next]. Here, it has been a mixed feeling."

Midfielder Moises Caicedo besides joined Maresca successful criticising immoderate of nan pitches they played connected successful nan US arsenic "not truthful good" and "so dry".

At slightest this summertime Chelsea avoided picking up immoderate injuries while connected tour.

Malo Gusto will statesman nan play astatine right-back arsenic Reece James serves a three-match prohibition successful nan Premier League for a reddish paper sustained successful nan penultimate lucifer of past season.

But James and Gusto will person to co-exist and both, astatine times, person struggled to accommodate to nan demands of being a full-back for Maresca.

In Maresca's system, 1 full-back typically becomes inverted and steps into cardinal midfield and nan different sits backmost to take sides arsenic a 3rd cardinal defender, which turns a backmost 4 into a backmost three.

James should beryllium tin of performing either domiciled but has struggled arsenic he besides builds fittingness aft an injury-hit season.

Gusto has besides struggled and has played a left-back 3 times, pinch Levi Colwill besides tried retired successful nan domiciled arsenic Marc Cucurella recovers from Euro 2024.

Maresca has admitted that immoderate of his different squad selections person travel arsenic he looks to "experiment" successful pre-season, but left-back Ben Chilwell has played conscionable 64 minutes and successful 2 matches from nan bench, raising caller questions astir whether he could beryllium sold.

The summation of caller goalkeeper Jorgensen from Villarreal is besides absorbing arsenic nan Blues wanted a master astatine playing retired from nan backmost to compete pinch Robert Sanchez, but it has near Djordje Petrovic apt to beryllium pushed retired of nan club, astatine slightest successful nan short-term connected loan.

The ambiance astir nan squad seemed broadly affirmative nether Maresca but specified is nan gait of signings, representatives astir respective players admit uncertainty astir their futures near them emotion insecure.

The 2 arguable taxable of pre-season person been astir midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher.

Fernandez faces no further action aft an soul investigation astatine Chelsea, but continues to beryllium investigated by Fifa, having been accused of being racist for singing an violative opus aft winning nan Copa America.

The ongoing Fifa investigation could still lead to a important home ban.

A gathering successful Atlanta pinch nan French players affected - including defender Wesley Fofana who had criticised Fernandez publically - is said to person gone well, pinch Maresca saying nan players had "all accepted" Fernandez’s apology, allowing Chelsea to re-integrate their £107m signing into nan squad.

Fernandez will apt beryllium targeted by boos from fans of different clubs adjacent play but location is small chance of him leaving Stamford Bridge - and he was made skipper against Real Madrid aft Reece James was substituted.

Gallagher, meanwhile, wasn't progressive successful Chelsea's pre-season having been fixed a break aft Euro 2024.

But Gallagher's potential waste to Atletico Madrid was a awesome talking constituent among supporters, galore of whom seemed upset to suffer different homegrown star.

The hiring and firing of managers that characterised Chelsea's erstwhile ownership nether Roman Abramovich hasn't changed nether their American consortium.

Real Madrid head Carlo Ancelotti urged his erstwhile nine to show patience pinch Maresca erstwhile interviewed by BBC Sport earlier nan 2 sides met successful Chelsea's last pre-season.

Chelsea person belief that Maresca tin extremity that cycle, evidenced by his five-year deal, compared to nan two-year woody fixed to Pochettino past summer.

There is an anticipation that Chelsea should beryllium capable to suffice for nan Champions League, fixed they only fell short by six points past play amid immense wounded problems.

There will beryllium immoderate leeway if Maresca doesn't deed that target but tin show advancement successful different areas for illustration winning cup competitions, processing players aliases if mitigating circumstances, for illustration injuries, again go a awesome factor.

Chelsea are minded to beryllium diligent but that's not a connection nan nine has been known for.