Chelsea confirmed the signing of 22-year-old Strasbourg captain Emanuel Emegha for an undisclosed fee earlier this year but he is yet to appear for the Blues.
The attacker is set to join up with the rest of the squad at Stamford Bridge next year, after seeing out the 2025/26 campaign with the Ligue 1 outfit.
Emanuel Emegha suspended by Strasbourg for 'disrespecting club'
Chelsea have sent several young players to Strasbourg to gain senior experience including Andrey Santos, Djordje Petrovic and Kendry Paez, whilst the likes of Ben Chilwell and Ishe Samuels-Smith have sealed permanent switches.
Strasbourg skipper Emegha is one of the few players to move the other way, which includes Mamadou Sarr, who remains on loan at the Alsace-based side.
A statement issued by Strasbourg confirming Emegha's suspension read: “RC Strasbourg Alsace have decided to suspend Emanuel Emegha for the next Ligue 1 match, this Saturday at Toulouse.
"This decision was taken after the player recently failed to respect the values and expectations set in the club’s rules. Le Racing reaffirms its commitment to its key principles of exemplarity and respect for the collective.
"Emanuel remains an important member of the team, who has always given everything on the pitch. He will be reintegrated into the squad after this match. No further comment will be made.”
Recently, Emegha was the subject of vociferous criticism from Strasbourg supporters, following confirmation of his Chelsea switch.
The player also commented, whilst on international duty with the Netherlands: "To be honest, I didn’t even know where [Strasbourg] was. I thought it was in Germany, but it turned out to be in France. Well, I think everyone knows Strasbourg now.”
According to L'Equipe, Emegha is said to have suggested Strasbourg's first win over a big Ligue 1 side this season came against Lille because he was absent versus Monaco, PSG, Lyon and Rennes.
The French outlet claims the statements were 'badly received internally', causing the club to impose an internal suspension.
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