July 19th 2024.
Last season, Lesley Ugochukwu only started three games in the league. However, Chelsea has recently made the decision to recall Ugochukwu from France's team for the Paris 2024 Olympics, just days before the competition begins. While Ugochukwu did not make the final 18-man squad, he had remained with the team as one of the four replacement players. These replacements are able to play at any time during the tournament if one of the 18 squad members gets injured.
But, just five days before France's opening match against the USA, Chelsea announced that they are recalling their player. According to the French Football Federation, Ugochukwu will no longer be among the reserves for the Paris 2024 Olympic tournament. This decision was made after Chelsea requested for Ugochukwu to be permanently removed from the French team. The technical staff is currently waiting for a response from the organizers, and as of now, the team consists of 21 players.
As a non-FIFA competition, clubs are not obligated to release their players for the Olympics. This is not the first time Chelsea has blocked players from joining the Olympics, as they have also prevented Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile from joining Thierry Henry's team. Ugochukwu, who was signed by Chelsea for £23.5 million last summer, had a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge, making only 15 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino and missing most of the second half of the season due to a hamstring injury.
His recall to London comes just as Chelsea is about to depart on their pre-season tour of the USA. However, reports from The Athletic suggest that Chelsea plans to loan Ugochukwu out this season. The club is hoping to send him to another Premier League team, as there are currently three teams interested in him. The decision to recall him may be a sign that a transfer is close to being finalized.
Meanwhile, France will begin their Olympic campaign on Wednesday against the USA, followed by matches against Guinea and New Zealand. Many clubs, including Chelsea, have blocked Henry from calling up their players for the Olympics. Despite this, France's team still has a lot of talented players, including Alexandre Lacazette, Michael Olise, and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
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