It is fair to say that the FIFA Club World Cup is causing havoc for Chelsea’s preparations for the season.
The Blues booked their place at the tournament having lifted the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel but they have not been given clarification over whether it will go ahead.
With the Blues squad potentially set to fly away, possibly with little notice, Chelsea could be forced to play some of their academy stars in their absence - as Liverpool were forced to do when they participated in the tournament in 2019.
The 18-year-old, who only made the step up to U23 level last term, already has five goals and two assists in just eight appearances in all competitions.
He has also earned international recognition too having recently made two outings for the England U19s.
A year older than Vale at 19, Dutch central defender Mbuyamba has already made an impact on the Chelsea first-team having appeared on the bench in the Blues's Carabao Cup victory against Aston Villa.
Signed from Barcelona in 2020, the defender has huge promise and could provide the Blues with more defensive success from the academy following the stark rise of Trevoh Chalobah this season.
Sam McClelland
Regularly Mbuyamba's defensive colleague, McClelland has been a virtual ever-present for the Blues’ academy side over the campaign, whilst having captained the team on a number of occasions.
He also has experience against senior quality having also played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s EFL Trophy victory against Exeter City in August.
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