As there are a whole bunch of “Notebook” level news items to cover today, pertaining to Chelsea FC, let’s get into the Blues Round-Up. We already covered the fitness/injury updates, in two parts, starting with Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill. For part two, covering Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and more can be found go here.
Also, we now have a kickoff time, against Manchester City, in the FA Cup semifinals. See below for that.
Chelsea’s #EmiratesFACup semi-final against Manchester City will take place on Saturday 20 April, with kick-off set for 5:15pm. ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 22, 2024
Speaking of Chelsea versus City, they’ll play each other again, this time in a preseason friendly, in the United States this summer. The preseason tour of the USA has now rounded into form, and it includes a clash with Celtic at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
But for now, let’s shift back to Cole Palmer. Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit was asked if the former Manchester City man represents the future of Three Lions.
“Yes, definitely,” Petit said to Compare Bet magazine.
“Because this guy represents the future for the national team. This guy is probably the best player for Chelsea so far, and we all know how difficult it is to be good for Chelsea with the environment. On top of it, this guy’s got quality, he’s got character, he takes penalties all the time with Chelsea.
“But he can play different positions, which is very interesting for [Gareth] Southgate in terms of tactics against different opponents. He can move in different positions, just like [Phil] Foden with City.”
Finally, as it is international break, and England is getting ready to face Brazil in a friendly at Wembley Stadium in London tomorrow, it is the perfect time to look at the potential optimal first XI that Gareth Southgate could employ at the Euros this summer.
This comes to us via our friends at Squawka; see the infographic below:
According to their article, they used Opta data and Twenty3’s Discover tool to generate player ratings in every position. These ratings are calculated using a range of weighted metrics associated with the position.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.