It's another day in the international break which means lots of Chelsea news and rumours to get on with! The Blues are fretting over a serious points deduction which has the potential to see Mauricio Pochettino's side relegated from the top flight of English football.
After alleged FFP regulation breaches of their own, as well as an independent investigation around alleged payments made by former owner Roman Abramovich from 'offshore vehicles' which appear to have favoured the club unbeknownst to governing bodies, Everton's ten point deduction yesterday afternoon struck fear into the hearts of supporters and set the precedent for any further rulings from the commissions.
Supporters also saw Cole Palmer make his England debut last night as the Three Lions beat Malta 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to continue their charge towards the 2024 Euros. In what was a rather flat performance by Gareth Southgate's men, the Blues youngster replaced Marcus Rashford with 30 minutes to play and impressed going forward.
With that being said, make sure you keep the blog on lock throughout the day as we bring you all the latest Chelsea news as and when it happens.
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Chelsea's own Fernandes
In a list of names to have played less than 600 Premier League minutes but scored four or more goals there isn't much to look upon. Aleksander Isak's fast start with Newcastle stands out, he was signed for over £60million last year and has a strong record behind him from Spain. Callum Wilson has made a fine start in the north east as well, bagging seven in 10 games despite not starting regularly.
Then there's Evan Ferguson, boosted by his hat-trick against the Magpies earlier on this season, but now sidelined with injury. Diogo Jota has four at Liverpool too and has only started seven times. Tagging along with the rest and going at the second highest goals contribution per90 of them all is Cole Palmer.
Read the full story, here.
Madueke watch
Noni Madueke has endured a difficult season thus far for Chelsea. The winger has made just one Premier League start for the Blues and his only goal contribution came from the penalty spot against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.
Of course the impressive form of Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer has made finding a place in Mauricio Pochettino's starting lineup difficult. Mykhailo Mudryk's presence in the squad certainly makes things no easier either.
However, while Chelsea have only afforded Madueke 200 minutes this term, his form has not dipped for England under-21s. In three games across September and October, Madueke delivered three goals and an assist against Luxembourg, Serbia and Ukraine.
football.london takes a look at how Madueke got on against Serbia for England's under-21s on Saturday evening.
Read the report, here.
FFP truth
The shock of a Premier League club being docked points has taken the football world by storm. Everton, who were earlier this year charged with one count of breaching profit and sustainability rules, have gone from 14th and moderately safe after 12 games to sitting second bottom, only above Burnley on goal difference.
Given that this decision from the league, as announced on Friday, November 17, is the first of its kind in league history, it has opened up a can of worms to deal with. The obvious comparison now being made is with Manchester City.
The current league champions and winners in five of the past six seasons, favourites to do it again this term and off the back of a historic treble, have 115 charges hanging over their heads. Given the numerous genuine allegations made towards their 'financial doping' - as Arsene Wenger has dubbed it previously - and social media outrage, things have gotten out of hand.
Read the full story here as the record is set straight.
Nkunku update
Christopher Nkunku has been finding new ways to keep himself busy during the international break as he prepares to make a long-awaited Chelsea debut in the coming weeks. The 26-year-old has celebrated his birthday since the Blues drew 4-4 against Manchester City last weekend and is targeting a competitive debut before the new year.
"We had some conversation and he said to me I want to be ready for after the international break, Newcastle," Mauricio Pochettino said ahead of that game. "I asked him yesterday [about a return] and he said 'hmmm,'" he continued. "And I said you are liar!"
Chelsea take on Newcastle in their first game back, travelling to St James' Park on November 25 but this is still likely to be too soon for the Frenchman with Eddie Howe's side visiting Stamford Bridge in late December for a Carabao Cup tie as well. Either way it has been a frustrating start to life for him.
Read the full story, here.
Centre-back decisions
Fabrizio Romando says: “Guys, what I’m hearing is that the only centre-back expected to leave Chelsea is still Trevoh Chalobah.
“Chelsea invested big money last year in Badiashile, so letting him go on the cheap is something that they’re absolutely not considering.
“It’s true that Milan appreciate the player but at the moment for Chelsea the idea is very clear; the only player leaving in January is Trevoh Chalobah.”
Souness on Sterling vs Grealish
“If you’re a full back, would you rather play against Sterling or Jack Grealish? I think 10 out of 10 would rather play against Grealish. Sterling is more dangerous than him.
"Defenders are terrified of pace and directness. Grealish threatens to go down the line, does a couple of stepovers and then cuts inside and plays the ball square nearly every time. Sterling goes at you and, as a defender, you’re praying you have a team-mate covering you.
“We’re seeing less and less of Grealish at Manchester City, and more of Jeremy Doku. Would you want to play against Doku? No, because he’s more like Sterling.”
Santos fighting for his future
Everybody associated with Chelsea and Andrey Santos would all agree that the Brazilian's first six months in England has not gone to plan.
The Blues signed the box-to-box midfielder for £16million from boyhood club Vasco do Gama last January. Santos spent the final half of last season back on loan in Brazil before returning to Cobham in June.
Despite encouraging performances in the U20 South American Championship at the start of the year, scoring six goals in eight games, Santos' development has stagnated somewhat this season.
Santos joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season at the end of August to bolster the Reds' midfield options. However, Ibrahim Sangare and Nicolas Dominguez both arrived from PSV Eindhoven and Bologna respectively on Deadline Day.
Read the full story, here.
Spotted in training
Chelsea are one week away from returning to Premier League action against Newcastle United, but of course, remain without much of their squad who are currently on international duty. However, there remains plenty of work to be done.
The pause in Premier League action has already seen the likes of Cole Palmer make his England debut, while Thiago Silva has travelled to Brazil for some time off. There remains plenty of productivity at Chelsea's Cobham training base however, with the likes of Reece James, who did not join up with the Three Lions, putting in plenty of effort to continue his return to his best fitness.
The period provides an opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino and his staff to work closely with a smaller group of players and to see some younger stars too. football.london takes a look at what has been spotted in the footage Chelsea have released of the training sessions in the last few days.
Chelsea warning
The Premier League's decision to punish Everton for being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules has sent shock waves around Chelsea and Manchester City.
Stefan Borson, a lawyer who previously advised City, has admitted that relegation from the Premier League is a genuine possibility. "Without seeing the judgement/award - 10 points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward FFP breach to me," he said.
"But reinforces that sanctions against City [if proven] and now Chelsea [if charged and admitted on the off-books payments] will be potentially relegation inducing.
"One thing is for sure, given the scale of this sporting sanction, Chelsea's calculus [in my opinion] that they could breach PL P&S [Profit and Sustainability] and just take a fine as a cost of doing business, must be in urgent and immediate reconsideration."
Toney dilemma
Chelsea must convince Ivan Toney to join them in the January transfer window. The Brentford striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Blues and Arsenal amid both teams struggles in attack.
According to The Sun, Toney remains undecided on his future. A source close to the player has reportedly told the newspaper that he is unsure whether January will be the right time to leave Thomas Frank's side.
"A lot of people assume Ivan will be on his way after Christmas, but no deal has been done - and nothing has been decided," the source said. "Ivan is torn over his future. Brentford have stood by him and the club have been brilliant.
"Part of him wants to help them by hitting the ground running straight away in January and scoring the goals which will ensure they stay in the Premier League.
"There are a lot of clubs interested in Ivan but his focus, for now, is getting back on the pitch at Brentford and doing the business for his manager Thomas Frank, to whom he feels he has a big debt to repay. The same goes for the fans."
Cole Palmer's England debut
Cheslea star Cole Palmer made his England debut last night,, replacing Marcus Rashford in the 60th minute against Malta with the Three Lions 1-0 up.
The 21-year-old is the 60th debutant under Gareth Southgate, who called up the youngster after his standout performances for the Blues in recent weeks as James Maddison pulled out of the camp due to injury.
Premier League send Chelsea and Man City FFP sanction threat
Chelsea and Manchester City have both been sent a warning by the Premier League about potential sanctions they could face after Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction.
The Toffees were found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, with the punishment seeing them drop from 14th in the table down into the relegation zone to 19th, level on points with bottom-of-the-table Burnley. A statement from the league read: "An independent Commission has imposed an immediate deduction of 10 points on Everton FC for a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).
"The Premier League issued a complaint against the Club and referred the case to an independent Commission earlier this year. During the proceedings, the Club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending Season 2021/22 but the extent of the breach remained in dispute.
Chelsea star Thiago Silva sends emotional 'surgery' message
Chelsea star Thiago Silva has sent his past self an emotional letter as his future with the Blues becomes increasingly complicated. The 39-year-old has been a defensive stalwart at Stamford Bridge for the past three years after his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Having signed another one-year extension at the start of the season, it leaves Mauricio Pochettino just eight months to work out another extension if he wants the Brazilian international to stay on for the next campaign with Chelsea. With the veteran defender often acting as a lifeline due to the amount of defensive injuries in recent years, Silva has become a fan favourite and his deep connection with the club is something he's thinking about as he heads towards retirement.
He told Sky Italy earlier this season: "The end of my career is getting closer… it's not easy. You've to think about when you want to retire, where do you go as final club, the family, my kids play at Chelsea.
Latest Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of Newcastle clash
With one half of the international break now complete, Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino are looking forward to the trip to St. James' Park next weekend. It appears as though the list of those sat on the sideline for the Blues is finally decreasing, with some key names set to return in the coming weeks.
Before England's 2-0 win over Malta last night, it was announced that midfielder Conor Gallagher had actually come into the training camp with a knock from their clash with Manchester City.
Elsewhere, Wesley Fofana provided an update to his fitness via his social media channels. Much of Fofana's young career has been stained by long-term injuries, including both his time at Chelsea and Leicester City, with the French international hopeful of an imminent return.
Good morning!
Hello and welcome to today's Chelsea live blog!
Here's a look at the biggest stories ahead of another huge day.
