Chelsea omission for Emmanuel Emegha and Giovanni Quenda as Xabi Alonso names 27-man tour squad

New Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has been dealt an early setback to his pre-season plans, with recent arrivals Emmanuel Emegha and Giovanni Quenda both left out of the club’s travelling squad for their tour of Australia and Asia.

Chelsea have confirmed that 27 players will fly to Sydney for the start of their warm‐weather training camp, which will also take in further matches in Asia. The group includes defender Marco Balestra, the club’s latest summer signing, who has joined from Atalanta in a £43m deal.

However, fellow new signings Emegha and Quenda are not among those boarding the plane, despite both having formally completed moves to Stamford Bridge during the current transfer window.

The London club had reached agreements earlier in the year with Strasbourg and Sporting Lisbon over the transfers of the two players ahead of the summer window, but their official registration with Chelsea has taken place in recent weeks.

Injury concern for Emegha

According to British newspaper The Sun, 23‐year‐old Dutch forward Emmanuel Emegha sustained a hamstring injury in a behind‐closed‐doors friendly against Bromley. The National League side faced Chelsea in a training match that ended in a 3-0 victory for Alonso’s team.

The extent of Emegha’s problem has not been detailed by the club, but the injury was serious enough to rule him out of the initial travelling squad for the pre-season tour.

Giovanni Quenda’s situation is less clear. The 19‐year‐old Portuguese right winger has also been omitted from the tour party, but no explanation has yet been given for his absence and Chelsea have not disclosed whether it is related to fitness, injury or another issue.

Despite the disappointment of starting pre-season without the pair, there remains the possibility that one or both could join up with the squad later in the tour if their situations improve.

Key players also missing after World Cup runs

Alonso will also be without several first‐team regulars at the start of the trip because of their late involvement in the closing stages of the World Cup.

Among those granted an extended break is Morgan Rogers, who has just completed a high‐profile move from Aston Villa to Chelsea worth £117m. Club captain Reece James is also absent from the travelling group as he finishes his post‐tournament rest period.

Those players are continuing to recover following a long summer with England at the World Cup and are expected to rejoin the squad later in pre-season as preparations for the new campaign intensify.

Behind-closed-doors win

Chelsea’s fitness work under Alonso has already included the 3-0 friendly win over Bromley, played at a training ground without supporters present.

Joao Pedro, Jimmy Gittens and Emmanuel Emegha were on the scoresheet in that match, with Emegha’s goal coming before he suffered the hamstring injury that has now disrupted his start to life under Alonso.

The tour of Australia and Asia is viewed inside the club as a key phase for Alonso to impose his ideas on the squad, assess new signings such as Balestra and integrate returning players once their post‐World Cup breaks come to an end.