Chelsea has unveiled the squad’s shirt numbers for the 2023/24 season, and there will be no one wearing the cursed number 9 shirt at the club.
Enzo Fernandez has switched from shirt number 5 to the vacant number 8 after Mateo Kovacic’s transfer to Man City. Mykhailo Mudryk has also changed from shirt number 15 to don the number 10 shirt following Christian Pulisic’s move to AC Milan.
The number 9 shirt remains vacant as players are believed to be reluctant to wear this number, considering it to be “cursed.” In the previous season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wore this shirt but only managed to score 1 goal in 15 Premier League appearances.
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Previously, Lukaku wore the number 9 shirt in the 2021/22 season and has now returned to the club after a year on loan to Inter. However, his future is uncertain, so his shirt number allocation has not been announced in the list.
The recent wearers of the number 9 shirt, all forwards for The Blues, have faced failure. These include Alvaro Morata, Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku, Hernan Crespo, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, and Mateja Kezman.
Meanwhile, defender Levi Colwill has the honor of wearing the legendary John Terry’s number 26 shirt. The English player has been rewarded with a 6-year contract after an impressive loan spell with Brighton last season.
Raheem Sterling has taken the number 7 shirt left by N’Golo Kante. On the other hand, newcomer Nicolas Jackson receives the number 15 shirt that Mudryk just abandoned.
Other summer signings have also been assigned new numbers. Lesley Ugochukwu wears shirt number 16, Robert Sanchez wears shirt number 31, Christopher Nkunku wears shirt number 18, and defender Axel Disasi wears shirt number 2.
Shirt Numbers of Chelsea Players for the 2023/24 Season:
| Shirt Number | Player Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kepa Arrizabalaga |
| 2 | Axel Disasi |
| 3 | Marc Cucurella |
| 5 | Benoit Badiashile |
| 6 | Thiago Silva |
| 7 | Raheem Sterling |
| 8 | Enzo Fernandez |
| 10 | Mykhailo Mudryk |
| 11 | Noni Madueke |
| 13 | Marcus Bettinelli |
| 14 | Trevoh Chalobah |
| 15 | Nicolas Jackson |
| 16 | Lesley Ugochukwu |
| 17 | Carney Chukwuemeka |
| 18 | Christopher Nkunku |
| 19 | Armando Broja |
| 20 | Andrey Santos |
| 21 | Ben Chilwell |
| 23 | Conor Gallagher |
| 24 | Reece James |
| 26 | Levi Colwill |
| 27 | Malo Gusto |
| 29 | Ian Maatsen |
| 31 | Robert Sanchez |
| 33 | Wesley Fofana |
| 37 | Mason Burstow |
| 47 | Lucas Bergstrom |
| 50 | Eddie Beach |
| 67 | Lewis Hall |
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