The Real Reason Morgan Rogers Is Sitting Out Chelsea's Clash Against Western Sydney Wanderers

Chelsea moved swiftly under Arsenal's radar to complete a club-record £117 million ($155.8 million) transfer for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.

The Blues operated quietly while football's attention was fixed on the World Cup final. Rogers, an unexpected starter in England's semifinal loss to Argentina, went on to play the full match in a chaotic third-place playoff against France before putting pen to paper upon returning home.

He is set to become one of the key figures in Xabi Alonso's west London project, having impressed for the Villans under Unai Emery. His precise role under the Spaniard remains unclear, though Alonso has a vision in mind, with fans eager to understand the new manager's preferred system before the Premier League campaign kicks off next month.

However, Rogers's involvement in North America this summer means he has been given time to rest and recover before beginning his Chelsea chapter.

As a result, he will not feature in the Blues' opening preseason friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, and could miss the club's extended summer tour altogether.

When Will Morgan Rogers Make His Chelsea Debut?

Players who participated at the World Cup are entitled to up to three weeks of rest before rejoining their clubs. Given how deep England progressed in the tournament, with their final match taking place on July 18, Rogers is not expected to link up with Alonso's squad during the summer tour.

Chelsea have first headed to Australia for friendlies against the Wanderers and Spurs, before taking on Juventus and AC Milan in Hong Kong and Indonesia, respectively.

The Blues will return to London after facing Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia, and Rogers should have an opportunity to make his first appearance for the club when they host Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge one week before the Premier League season begins.

The Alonso era officially kicks off against familiar west London rivals Fulham on August 24.

Chelsea's Missing World Cup Contingent

Alonso named a 28-man squad for the club's preseason tour across Australia and Asia, with a number of academy youngsters filling out the group.

Those included in the squad will gradually be joined by several players who featured at the World Cup. Like Rogers, fan-favourite-turned-villain Enzo Fernández is not anticipated to travel with Chelsea and should be available for selection against Sociedad. Malo Gusto and Reece James are also not expected to return until later in the summer.

The remaining players should trickle back in gradually.

None of Chelsea's World Cup players suffered group stage exits, though four were eliminated in the opening knockout round. Moisés Caicedo, Jorrel Hato, Nicolas Jackson, and Mamadou Sarr are expected to arrive in time for the second Sydney friendly against Spurs.

Pedro Neto may also see some action on tour and is among those looking to impress the new manager. Quarterfinalist Mike Penders did not play a single minute throughout the World Cup and should also be ready to feature at some stage.