Chelsea squad numbers revealed: Lukaku EXCLUDED, Mudryk handed No.10

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 8 Aug 2023 05:51 CDT
• 4 min read

Chelsea have finally released their shirt numbers ahead of their 2023-24 campaign, which kicks off with a tough opening day fixture against Liverpool.

The Blues have endured a summer of change, with eight new signings arriving through the door and a huge 36 players leaving from the senior side and the academy team combined.

MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

Among the departures were Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, who have joined Arsenal and Manchester United respectively, while club legend Cesar Azpilicueta and academy graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek have also left.

The Blues have now announced their shirt numbers for the upcoming campaign, with new signings handed their squad number and several existing members of the Chelsea squad opting to change their number thanks to key spots being opened up via the aforementioned exits.

MORE: Chelsea RULE OUT Neymar transfer after Pochettino verdict

Chelsea’s 2023/24 shirt numbers

New signing Christopher Nkunku has taken the number 18 shirt - the shirt number he donned at RB Leipzig - while Nicolas Jackson will wear 15, previously held by Mykhailo Mudryk. Just like Nkunku, Jackson has carried his number across from Villarreal, where he also wore the number 15 shirt.

Axel Disasi has taken the vacant number 2 shirt, after wearing 20 at Monaco, while Lesley Ugochukwu has picked number 16. He wore 26 at Stade Rennais.

Robert Sanchez, who arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion, has taken the number 31 shirt, while Malo Gusto and Andrey Santos will wear number 27 and number 20 respectively.

Thanks to the departures of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Joao Felix, the much coveted number 7, 8, 10 and 11 shirts all became available at Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling has swapped number 17 for number 7, Enzo Fernandez has dropped the number 5 shirt to take 8, while Mykahilo Mudryk is now Chelsea’s number 10. The Ukraine international previously wore the number 15 shirt, now taken by Jackson.

Joao Felix wore the number 11 during his six-month loan spell, but he has now returned to Atletico Madrid and his number has been taken by Noni Madueke, who had previously donned the number 31 shirt after his January move from PSV.

Benoit Badiashile has swapped number 4 for number 5, while Carney Chukwuemeka has taken advantage of the number 17 shirt being abandoned by Sterling and will now wear that number.

Perhaps the most notable shirt number has been given to Levi Colwill, who recently signed a new long-term deal at Chelsea. He has been given the number 26 shirt, which was famously worn by Blues legend John Terry.

Interestingly, Romelu Lukaku has not been given a shirt number as he continues to seek an exit. Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi have also not been handed a squad number for the new campaign.

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