With Chelsea's pre-season campaign coming to an end with back-to-back friendlies against Udinese, we pick out those who made their mark ahead of the Premier League campaign and those with work to do

Winners 

Koulibaly 

With his signing from Napoli only completed two weeks ago, it was no surprise that Koulibaly barely featured on Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States. Instead, he was given time to settle into the first-team group and get fully up to speed before being thrown into the starting XI.

That finally happened against Udinese with the Senegal international taking up the left-sided spot in the back three. That was the role vacated by Antonio Rudiger earlier this summer and given the German's performances under Tuchel, there are big shoes to fill for Koulibaly.

Yet the 31-year-old showcased against Udinese that Chelsea supporters have nothing to worry about. Never rushed in possession, Koulibaly helped work the ball into the Italian's half and when called upon defensively, he was flawless. There was even one Rudigeresque surge forward in the second period which, unfortunately, didn't result in him receiving the ball from Mason Mount.

Kante, N'Golo

Kante was unable to travel with the Chelsea first team due to his vaccination status. Tuchel hinted at this while out in Los Angeles, but given the Frenchman's injury problems last season, perhaps it was a gift in disguise. The Blues' head coach said, "It's not even the worst thing.

"We can assign him a very specific workload and perhaps turn a disadvantage into a benefit. Because N'Golo is N'Golo and everyone is aware of his importance to our team, I don't believe he will need much time to get used to our style of play. And if we want to win major things, he needs to be a crucial player for us.

As Chelsea's first-team group travelled from coast to coast in the USA, Kante undertook pre-season training with the Development Squad and later the Under-18s. He did feature in a friendly against Boreham Wood but hadn't played any further minutes in the build-up to the campaign.

Theodore Loftus-Cheek

Additionally missing from Chelsea's tour was Loftus-Cheek. The 26-year-old was unable to enter the United States due to his vaccination status, as was the case with Kante. He therefore participated in the friendly match against Boreham Wood and trained during the preseason with the Development Squad and the Under-18s.

The competition in midfield at Stamford Bridge is a challenge for Loftus-Cheek. Not only does he trail Kante, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic in the standings, but it also appears like Conor Gallagher has moved up in front of him since the England international returned from his loan stint at Crystal Palace.