The Preseason Thread - 2025/26

The following players have travelled:

Goalkeepers
Gavin Bazunu
Alex McCarthy
Dylan Moody
Aaron Ramsdale

Defenders
James Bree
Ronnie Edwards
Ryan Manning
Joshua Quarshie
Joachim Kayi Sanda
Jack Stephens
Yukinari Sugawara
Charlie Taylor
Welington
Nathan Wood

Midfielders
Joe Aribo
Shea Charles
Mateus Fernandes
Moses Sesay
Will Smallbone

Forwards
Cameron Archer
Adam Armstrong
Ben Brereton Díaz
Damion Downs
Samuel Edozie
Ryan Fraser
Jay Robinson
Ross Stewart

 

No Bednarek or Dibling then. Ominous.

 

Dibling, Matsuki, Downes and THB aren't travelling as they're all rehabbing injuries. Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap and Ballard are selection decisions

 

Great opportunity for Sesay to show he can play a part this season

 

So basically just Bednarek not being included who might have been really. Squad still absolutely massive even if those 3 go, can see the rest of the window being very quiet if they can keep everyone

 

Would still expect to see Ramsdale, Bednarek, at least one of Dibling/Fernandes to go, Aribo to go, at least one of Armstrong/BBD to go

Moody and Sesay also won't make the senior squad for the season either, plus I'd expect one of our three LBs to go (Manning/Welington/Taylor)

So that's a possible eight out, potentially as many as ten if Dibling AND Fernandes go, plus Armstrong AND Brereton-Diaz go. Would pull the squad down to somewhere between 17-19 senior pros. And that doesn't count a potential move for THB once he's fit. August will be hectic, I think

 

From my understanding Sesay is a winger(?).

So we have the same number of midfielders as we do keepers.

 

Interesting. Would indicate a few more incomings if all of those go. In my head I just had Ramsdale, Fernandes, Dibling and Bednarek leaving and debatable whether we’d have to replace any of them if they were to leave

 

Bednarek is off then. Ballard not considered good enough. ABK obvious.

 

Another loan hopefully for Ballard. Only just turned 20 and had a couple of injuries hold him back.

 

Ah, I hadn't heard Dibling was injured. That is a few times he has been said to have "picked up a knock" with no mention of what injured it actually is.

 

Contract up at the end of the season, and he's already on record as wanting to see a pathway here. If he goes out on loan, he won't be coming back.

I agree, he's worth persevering with due to his injuries, but I'm seeing less and less chance of it happening, sadly.

 

Yeah cynically I don't really buy the Dibling stuff - if it was just a knock, you'd feel like he'd benefit from at least being in-and-around the side in Spain whilst recovering?

 

What's the point? Travelling today, with games on Wednesday and Saturday. So that's only Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for full training. If you can't participate in training anyway, then I don't think there's value in dragging an injured player off on a flight to an overseas training camp just to sit in a hotel and rehab with worse facilities and less medical/rehab staff than they would have access to if they were still based at the training ground

 

We (and he) would be better off letting him leave now for nothing to a club where he can prove himself, with a hefty sell on clause and a reasonable buy back. Wouldnt surprise me at all if he scores a hatful in League 1 or the US or somewhere in the next couple of years.

 

No real surprises. Guess we have to keep all players involved in pre season as no guarantees who will be leaving yet.
Agree with DTLW, that August is going to be a busy month as most of the players we want to get rid off, will be 4th, 5th choices on clubs transfer lists