Lukaku numberless as Chelsea confirm 23-24 squad numbers

It's clear which players Chelsea have branded for a departure. The Blues released on Tuesday the official list of squad numbers for the coming season, and as well as the new additions, there were some notable absences.

Defender Axel Disasi, who completed a move from Monaco at the start of August, will take '2', and Nicolas Jackson, who arrived from Villarreal, takes the unoccupied '15'.

Christopher Nkunku has been handed '18', but he won't get to debut it for a while, as the club confirmed on Tuesday he had undergone surgery for a knee injury. Levi Colwill, fresh off signing a new six-year contract gets '26', previously occupied by Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined Saudi side Al-Hilal this summer.

Mykhailo Mudryk takes the '10' worn last year by Christian Pulisic, who has signed for AC Milan, and Enzo Fernandez gets Mateo Kovacic's '8', as the Croatian has moved to Manchester City.

Although Chelsea have had a busy transfer window, there are still some names on the exit ramp at Stamford Bridge. Romelu Lukaku is without a number, as the club remain in talks with Serie A side Juventus over a possible move for the Belgian.

Hakim Ziyech, pegged for a move to join Cristiano Ronaldo before his medical threw the transfer into doubt, is another player left off the list. Academy graduate Callum Hudson Odoi, who spent last season at Bayer Leverkusen on loan, completes the trio of numberless players that the Blues remain hopeful to sell.

 

August 8, 2023