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Chelsea sack head physio Thierry Laurent as staff clear-out continues

Chelsea's David Luiz, Thierry Laurent during a training session at the Catholic University on 6th August 2013 in Washington DC, USA - Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea's David Luiz, Thierry Laurent during a training session at the Catholic University on 6th August 2013 in Washington DC, USA - Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea have sacked head physio Thierry Laurent, taking the number of confirmed departures up to four over the course of the last week.

Laurent is believed to have been informed that he is no longer required by Chelsea on Tuesday after working at the club for 17 years.

He quickly follows long-serving doctor Paco Biosca, who he worked closely with, out of Stamford Bridge.

Telegraph Sport revealed on Saturday that Biosca was leaving Chelsea and being replaced by first-team doctor Dimitrios Kalogiannidis in the interim.

News of Laurent’s departure comes quickly after Biosca, the sacking of commercial director Damian Willoughby for sending ‘inappropriate messages’ and announcement that director of communications Steve Atkins will leave in December to take a new job.

Chelsea will make new appointments in the medical department and are also in talks with individuals over sporting director and technical director roles, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Tim Steidten one of those holding meetings with the club.

The current plan is to try to appoint both a sporting director, who would be largely responsible for recruitment and data, and a technical director to help manage Cobham, although that could change depending on how the interview process progresses

The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership recently completed a 100-day review of the club, which has resulted in a number of changes, including the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and appointment of head coach Graham Potter. The owners are determined to implement a collaborative culture in which employees connect across all areas of Chelsea, including the men’s, women’s and academy teams.

The volume of change since the Boehly-Clearlake takeover has been huge, with Bruce Buck, Marina Granovskaia, Petr Cech, Scott McLachlan and Tuchel and his backroom staff all leaving before Willoughby, who had been hired under the new ownership less than a month ago, Atkins, Biosca and now Laurent.