Mykhailo Mudryk has rejoined Chelsea training after a 20-month absence, but the winger’s place in the club’s plans is still far from settled.

The Ukraine international is back with the Blues on their preseason tour in Asia after his doping ban was reduced following changes to World Anti-Doping Agency technical documents. The original four-year suspension handed down by the England Football Association had been reconsidered because the Meldonium concentration in the sample that triggered the case would no longer be treated as a “positive test” under the updated guidance. Mudryk, Chelsea and WADA then reached an agreement that clears the 25-year-old to return after almost two years away, ending what he described as the “most difficult period of his career.”

His comeback comes into a very different Chelsea environment. Since his last appearance, the club has moved through the Enzo Maresca era and beyond, with Liam Rosenior, Callum McFarlane and now Xabi Alonso all having been in charge. The left side of the team has also changed significantly. Jadon Sancho and João Félix, who were rivals for minutes when Mudryk last played, have both departed, while Jamie Gittens and record signing Morgan Rogers are now the main competition. Alejandro Garnacho also came and went during the suspension.

Alonso has already made clear that he wants to work with Mudryk, calling the ban lift “great news.”

“He is coming to Hong Kong [for preseason],” Alonso said after Chelsea’s friendly vs. Tottenham . “We are happy for him—especially for him. We probably are not able to understand what he has been through in this time and how he feels in this moment with the things he’s had to cope with.

“We want him to feel part of a team because he has been training on his own for a long time. He has the support of everyone, from the club, from his teammates and staff. For sure it will take time, but once he is with us, we will see how things develop.”

Alonso also praised the qualities he saw before at Shakhtar and admitted the winger needs time to regain rhythm. That matters, because Mudryk is still trying to establish himself after a difficult spell at Chelsea following his January 2023 move worth up to $108.4 million (€100 million, £89 million). He has 10 goals in 73 appearances, and reports say three Premier League clubs, including Frank Lampard’s newly-promoted Coventry City, have already asked about him. A sale looks unlikely, but a loan may be possible.

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Valentín Barco from Strasbourg, completing a move that had been expected for almost four months. The deal raises the familiar question of where he fits under Alonso, though this transfer appears to belong more to the recruitment team than to the manager himself.

Reports first linked Chelsea with Barco in early April, when Liam Rosenior was still in charge. Two days after Alonso was appointed in May, Barco said farewell to Strasbourg in public, even though the move had not yet been officially announced. That timeline points to a signing shaped by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, along with recruitment chiefs Joe Shields and Sam Jewell.

Their position is under pressure after several seasons of heavy spending that have brought limited success on the pitch. Many supporters welcomed Alonso gaining more influence over recruitment, but Barco may be one of the final remnants of the previous structure.

There is, though, a clear football case for the 22-year-old. Some Premier League followers will remember a red-haired youngster who struggled across seven appearances at left back for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023-24, but this is a different player. Since joining Strasbourg in early 2025, Barco has developed into a versatile midfielder asked to contribute in both directions, and he has done that job well.

That versatility is a major part of his appeal. Earlier in his career he was viewed as a left back who could step into midfield, but the current version looks more like a midfielder who can also operate on the left when required. He offers a squad option in at least two positions, which suits the demands of the modern game.

Chelsea do not face European commitments this season, yet there is a clear ambition to return to playing twice a week in 2027-28, when Barco’s value could become even more obvious. Alonso will now decide how best to use him, especially with new signings already arriving in the same areas Barco appears strongest.

Chelsea’s tendency to accumulate players has created an especially crowded picture in attack, and the situation now looks even tighter. With no European football to offer, the club’s centre-forward group faces a sharp squeeze as the window moves on.

João Pedro stands apart from the rest. He has been one of BlueCo’s clearer successes, settling quickly after arriving last summer and delivering goals at the Club World Cup before finishing his debut season with 20 in all competitions. A nine-minute hat trick in his first game under Xabi Alonso, against Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers, underlined why he is seen as indispensable. Reports linking him with Barcelona do not alter the picture: he is staying put.

Nicolas Jackson is in a different category. His first two Chelsea campaigns brought criticism for missed chances and uneven output, but his pace and physical presence still caused problems, and he reached 30 goal involvements before last season’s loan to Bayern Munich. There, he contributed 11 goals and three assists as Bayern completed a domestic treble. Alonso will want to assess him in pre-season, yet he could still have a useful role as a disruptive option from the bench.

Emmanuel Emegha, who joined from Strasbourg this summer, has clear upside after strong scoring returns in France. Even so, Chelsea may be better served sending him on loan, ideally to another Premier League club, so he can develop in a more suitable environment.

Marc Guiu also looks likely to need a move away. His loan spell at Sunderland was cut short after three appearances and a goal, and he later made 13 appearances last season while providing four goal involvements. He remains a promising young striker, but regular minutes are unlikely at Stamford Bridge.

Dastan Satpaev has already shown promise with a sharp finish in the 6-4 friendly win over Western Sydney Wanderers, though a loan next season appears probable given the competition ahead of him.

Liam Delap, by contrast, has struggled badly. Signed for $40.6 million after a 12-goal season with Ipswich Town, he managed only three goals in 47 appearances and offered too little to justify patience. Chelsea should move him on while he still holds value.

David Datro Fofana, meanwhile, has not played for Chelsea since 2023 and has spent the past three campaigns on five different loans, with only a brief spell in Türkiye standing out as a success.