Spanish press reveal “shock” reason for Gary Cahill’s omission from Barcelona tie

One of the significant moments last night came when the teamsheets arrived. Most of the focus was on Chelsea’s front line, with Antonio Conte opting for a false 9 in the form of Eden Hazard over either of his two strikers. But there was also a change at the back.

Gary Cahill has rotated in and out to an increasing degree, but last night was absent for the biggest match of the season. Many concluded this meant that Conte had finally chosen Rudiger as his preferred option, but there is another theory about why the club captain may have missed out.

Spanish radio broadcaster Cadena SER are reporting that Cahill missed out due to the “shock” of the Ryan Mason news that broke in midweek. The midfielder has retired at 26 after a clash of heads with Cahill a year ago, and that news is apparently affecting Cahill heavily.

This shouldn’t be taken too seriously yet as it hasn’t been reported by anyone reputable in England, but if it’s true it’s very sad.

Tags push
Chelsea News