Gallagher & Gilmour blocked from mid-season return

Premier League title-chasers Chelsea look set to be stripped of the chance to recall on-loan midfield starlets Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour.

According to The Athletic, the pair of Cobham Academy products will be unable to come home to Stamford Bridge during the January window on account of their own success at Crystal Palace and Norwich during the current 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

BREAKING: Chelsea will not be able to recall either Conor Gallagher or Billy Gilmour from their season-long loans in January due to the conditions of the break clause in their deals. [The Athletic] #CFC

https://t.co/Toq8IVsB1s

— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) December 14, 2021

Both midfielders have featured on enough occasions this term under Patrick Vieira at Palace and Dean Smith at Norwich.

Gallagher has been a revelation this season at Selhurst Park under the former Arsenal midfield icon, with the 21-year-old England international bagging 6-goals and adding 3-assists across fifteen appearances in the Premier League while helping the Eagles to a mid-table position (12th) and topping the club’s goal chart.

Gilmour’s pathway to influence was a little less paved at Carrow Road with the Scottish international struggling for minutes under Daniel Farke but coming into prominence since Dean Smith arrived as his replacement, starting six matches on the spin including his start today against Aston Villa at the time of writing.

Questions in the center of the park for Chelsea

The engine room at Chelsea has come under the microscope this season under German tactician Thomas Tuchel; not for a lack of quality or poor utilization, but a lack of trusted depth in the center of the park.

Assets the likes of Jorginho, N’Golo Kanté, and Mateo Kovačić are highly-valued at Stamford Bridge, but the buck stops there.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 11:Saúl Ñíguez of Chelsea FC and Jacob Ramsey of Aston Villa battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on September 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Despite Ruben Loftus-Cheek putting in credible performances at times when he’s been called upon, summer loan signing Saúl Ñiguez has been a massive disappointment given his profile, while Ross Barkley and Lewis Baker have no role under the Tuchel regime.

The need to recall one or both of Gallagher and Gilmour would have provided an in house solution for such a key position in the team, but with Chelsea unable to look to that avenue of attack to solve what ails them, there is no telling what the solution may present itself with the January window right around the corner.