Chelsea confirm Mamadou Sarr's shirt number ahead of potential Premier League debut
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Chelsea have confirmed that centre-back Mamadou Sarr will wear his previous number following his recall from his loan at Strasbourg.
The Blues announced the decision to recall the 20-year-old from his season-long loan at Strasbourg on the deadline day of the January transfer window.
As a replacement, Chelsea also sent Aaron Anselmino, who spent the first half of the season at Borussia Dortmund, on loan to Strasbourg for the remainder of the season.
It has now been confirmed that Sarr will wear the number 19 shirt at Chelsea.
He already wore the same number when he made his debut for the club against Esperance Tunis in the Club World Cup in the summer.
The Senegal international has also been officially registered to Chelsea's Premier League squad, but, as of this writing, he is still missing from their Champions League squad.
It is expected to be sorted out very soon, since clubs have until 24:00 CET on Thursday, February 5, to submit any squad changes, before it will then be published by UEFA.
Sarr made 18 appearances for Strasbourg during his loan spell this season, including 15 starts in Ligue 1.
It remains to be seen whether he is in line for a Premier League debut when Chelsea visit Wolves' Molineux Stadium on Saturday, but fitness-wise, he is expected to be ready, having featured in Strasbourg's defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend.
The young centre-back also spent roughly 18 months playing under Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg, so he should be quite familiar with the head coach's demands on the pitch, and all that is left is to adjust to his new teammates.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.