Team News: Chelsea Marcos Alonso requests Thomas Tuchel to drop him against Everton
According to Sport (h/t Express), Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has asked Thomas Tuchel to not select him for today’s game against Everton. This comes amid the player being linked with a move to Barcelona.
The left-back has made no secret of his desire to return back home and play for Barcelona. With Chelsea having signed Marc Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday, his departure now looks imminent.
And today he has informed Tuchel that he does not wish to be selected. The report clarifies that while the left-back has not refused to play and has instead requested that he not be selected. What difference that makes remains unclear.
The 31-year-old arrived at Chelsea in 2016 from Fiorentina. He has gone on to establish himself in the team and has six trophies in six years at the club. But the arrival of Ben Chilwell in 2020 pushed him down the pecking order.
Chilwell had overtaken him as a regular starter under Tuchel, but a horrific injury saw the Englishman miss out most of the last season. This led to Alonso being the player at the left-wing-back for Tuchel last season. The Spaniard enjoyed a fairly decent season making 46 appearances in all competitions and scoring five goals and getting six assists.
Chilwell’s return from his injury coupled with the arrival of Marc Cucurella pushes the Spaniard further down the order. Talks between Barcelona and Chelsea are said to be progressing well and it is looking likely that the player will leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Alonso came through the academy of Real Madrid and now could be joining their arch-rivals. The La Liga giants were also interested in Cesar Azpilicueta, but the captain signed a new contract to commit his future to the Blues.
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Chelsea begin their new season today by taking a trip to Goodison Park. Tuchel will hope that his team gets off to a flying start. It will be interesting to see if Alonso makes the squad.