Chelsea leave three senior players off programme squad list for 2024/25 season

Chelsea have not allocated squad numbers to Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku or Armando Broja heading into the 2024/25 season.

The Blues begin the new campaign at home to Manchester City on Sunday, and the game's accompanying matchday programme features a telling hint about the futures of three players.

Gallagher, Lukaku and Broja are not listed among the first-team squad, while Broja's number 19 has already been reallocated to new signing Pedro Neto.

That trio are all training away from the Chelsea first-team at the moment as they look for summer transfers. However, it's notable that Trevoh Chalobah, who is also surplus to requirements, is on the matchday programme.

As programmes are printed in advance of games, it is possible that Chelsea believed Gallagher would finalise his move to Atletico Madrid before the visit of City - Lesley Ugochukwu features despite joining Southampton on loan on Friday.

Gallagher completed his medical in Spain last week and was even shown around the Estadio Metropolitano, but the collapse of Samu Omorodion's move the other way to Stamford Bridge means that deal cannot yet be finalised. Chelsea and Atletico are now in talks over Joao Felix instead.

Lukaku, meanwhile, is still wanted by Napoli boss Antonio Conte and Chelsea have held discussions with the Italian side over a move that could see Victor Osimhen head in the other direction. The Belgian striker spent last season on loan at AS Roma, but they are not expected to take him back.

Broja played little during a loan at Fulham during the second half of 2023/24 and remains without a notable suitor heading into the final weeks of the transfer window.

If none of this trio move before the deadline, they could yet be reintegrated into Enzo Maresca's fold, but the new head coach has already declared his priority is to trim the squad down.

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