With just one win to their name after 21 games in Group B of Premier Academy League, damage limitation must have been on the minds of Milton Keynes Dons U18s as they visited Cobham on Saturday morning. Chelsea aren’t exactly running away with the lead in Group A; being just above bottom-side Portsmouth in the 10 team league, with a fair bit of distance between them and the leading pack…
Fabio Borini this week became the nineteenth Chelsea player to go out on loan this season, and wasted little time in making an impact. We start this week’s loan report with the Italian’s impressive debut. Borini, who has spent the season with the reserve team due to a contract dispute, linked up with former reserve team boss Brendan Rodgers at promotion-chasing Swansea. He was thrust straight into action on Saturday…
Breaking news in Brazil this evening suggests that long-term youth target Lucas Piazon has agreed to join Chelsea from Sao Paulo when he turns 18, for a reported fee of €7.5m. The website “Lance!net” initially reported that the teenager, currently playing for Brazil in the South American Under-17 Championships, will join the Blues ahead of competition such as Juventus, who were believed to have agreed a deal to sign him…
With no Premier League action, and a handful of injuries, it’s been a quieter week than we’ve seen recently on the loan front, but there’s still plenty to talk about in the latest instalment of The Loan Report. It has been an FA Cup weekend, meaning a free date for Premier League action, and as such neither Gael Kakuta nor the injured Michael Mancienne were able to play. Bolton did…
Chelsea’s Under-18 team extended their unbeaten run at Cobham to five games on Saturday morning with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Birmingham City. Mesca’s first-half goal, his maiden goal for the Blues, was cancelled out in the second half and ensured that the visitors took a deserved share of the spoils. Having made his long-awaited comeback from injury for the reserves in midweek, Marko Mitrovic started a match for the…
From week to week, the number of Chelsea loanees who receive considerable playing time can fluctuate. Over the last few years, Blues supporters will be familiar with the stories of the likes of Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar, who couldn’t buy a place in the starting elevens of teams they spent a short spell with. It therefore comes as good news that this week, a considerable majority of those available…
For the second year in a row, and the third time in four years, Chelsea have reached the Semi Final stage of the FA Youth Cup. They did so by beating Watford in the Quarter Finals in consecutive years, and for the third time in as many games this campaign, Dermot Drummy’s team came back from conceding an early goal to wind up 2-1 victors. The addition of Tomas Kalas…
Daniel Sturridge continues to make the headlines in the latest instalment of The Loan Report as he scored his fourth goal in as many games on loan at Bolton. Elsewhere, Jack Cork also found the scoresheet in another busy week of action for Chelsea’s youngsters. We’ll start with Sturridge, who has hit the ground running under Owen Coyle, and having earned a starting berth with his impressive finishing, he has…
Chelsea’s strongest Under-18 team of the season led the way to a 3-0 victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday morning ahead of Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup Quarter Final. First half goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Anton Rodgers, after an own goal had given the Blues the lead, ensured three more points for Dermot Drummy’s men, before attentions turned to Watford in the second half. Taking the opportunity to try out…
A pulsating Monday night reserve match saw Aston Villa and Chelsea share South league spoils in a 2-2 draw featuring two late goals. Samir Carruthers’ first half opener was cancelled out by Nathaniel Chalobah early in the second half, only for Gokhan Tore to see red. Harry Forrester looked to have won the game for the hosts but a stoppage time leveller from substitute Adam Phillip earned Chelsea a well-deserved…