Chelsea have split their senior squad into two training groups as the club manages a squad of more than 40 players ahead of the new season.
Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo are among those currently training away from manager Xabi Alonso’s main first-team group as their futures at Stamford Bridge remain uncertain.
However, Chelsea sources insist the current arrangement is different from last season’s controversial ‘bomb squad’, which included players such as Raheem Sterling and Disasi.
Those players trained separately and were restricted to academy facilities. The current group, by contrast, trains at the same time as the main squad and has access to the same facilities at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground.
Chelsea believe dividing the squad is necessary because of the size of their senior playing group and the need to maintain the quality and intensity of training sessions.
The club is also taking extra care over the situation following new FIFA regulations introduced this summer aimed at preventing clubs from isolating unwanted players through so-called ‘bomb squads’.
The separate training arrangement therefore allows Chelsea to manage their oversized squad while avoiding the type of treatment that attracted criticism last season.
With the transfer window still open, the futures of several players in the second group could yet be decided before the new campaign gets fully under way.
