The January 2023 transfer window is coming to an end and football.london takes a look at the 20-man squad Graham Potter could pick with his new signings
After an extremely busy January transfer window, Graham Potter will face some really tough decisions for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.
Chelsea have signed six players so far this month – with days to go before the window closes – and a seventh deal is very close to being confirmed. As reported by football.london on Friday night, the Blues and Lyon have reached an agreement over the sale of young right-back Malo Gusto.
Lyon finally relented after a week of insisting the 19-year-old was not for sale. Chelsea have reached an agreement with the French club where they will pay €30m (£26.3m) for Gusto’s services, but he will remain at the Groupama Stadium until the end of the season.
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Chelsea will be without the French right-back until next season, which is a blow. However, Chelsea rate Gusto so highly that they would rather wait to use him than sign another right-back for the rest of the season. There is a belief at Stamford Bridge that Gusto can become a world-class full-back, so it’s worth the wait in that regard.
There are six other signings, however, who could be selected for the rest of the season. David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, João Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk have already been signed by Potter since signing earlier this month, but Andrey Santos and Noni Madueke are still awaiting their debuts.
Bar Felix, who is serving the last game of his three-match suspension after picking up a red card on his debut against Fulham earlier this month, should be available to be in the squad for the home clash with the Cottagers on Friday. So with that said, football.london predicts which team Potter could pick for Chelsea’s 21st game of the Premier League season.
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli
Edouard Mendy had surgery earlier this month on a fractured finger he suffered in training. There is no official timeline for the 30-year-old goalkeeper’s return, but he is still undergoing rehabilitation.
Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Benoit Badiashile, Thiago Silva, Marc Cucurella, Ben Chilwell, Reece James
Chilwell is set to be in the squad as he returns from a hamstring injury he sustained in November against Dinamo Zagreb. Likewise, James is expected to return to action in some form after being injured late last month against Bournemouth.
Midfielders: Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Carney Chukwuemeka
N’Golo Kante remains out and is not expected to return until the end of next month, or even early March. Chelsea could still sign a central midfielder before the window closes on Tuesday but, as it stands, the above could be who Potter selects in his 20-man squad for Fulham.
Forwards: Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Datro Fofana
Madueke is expected to be in the Chelsea squad for the first time after signing for around £35m from PSV Eindhoven on 20 January. Mudryk, who so impressed with his 35-minute cameo at Anfield last weekend, is set to be involved once again and could even make his first start for his new club.
Raheem Sterling has stepped up his recovery from a hamstriiiiiiiing problem in recent days, but he’s still doing individual work in training so he won’t be involved. Elsewhere, Christian Pulisic remains sidelined with a medial collateral ligament injury picked up against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Armando Broja is out for the season due to a serious knee ligament injury. Fofana’s new signing will likely be in the roster and could be drafted by Potter.