As Chelsea’s players file into the first-team canteen at the club’s Cobham training ground, one of first images to confront them is that of Gary Cahill holding the FA Cup high above his head.

Captaining Chelsea to FA Cup glory was one of the proudest moments of Cahill’s trophy-laden career and yet the following nine months have turned into a nightmare ahead of the re-run of last season’s final against Manchester United on Monday night.

Cahill hit rock bottom this week, when he was left out of head coach Maurizio Sarri’s travelling squad for the Europa League trip to Malmo without any sort of explanation or warning.

Having seen his team-mates humiliated in a 6-0 thrashing to Manchester City, Cahill would have been understandably hopeful of at least getting on the substitutes’ bench if not making his first appearance since November in Sweden.

But the 33-year-old is said to have been stunned to find his name was not on the travelling list, having not been pulled aside or warned that he was going to be left out by Sarri or his backroom staff.

Cahill has won a multitude of trophies since he joined Chelsea in 2012, including the FA Cup in 2018 credit: Getty Images

Indeed, as is the case with a number of his fringe players, Sarri has barely spoken to Cahill since arriving at Stamford Bridge despite allowing him to keep the club captaincy.

Long-serving Chelsea staff have been surprised by the treatment of a player, who has been one of the club’s best ambassadors and has won every domestic and European honour.

With less than six months remaining on his contract, it is becoming a sad end to what has been an incredible career for Cahill at Chelsea since joining the club for just £7million in 2012.

He was expected to leave during the January transfer window, but, despite strong interest from Fulham, there was not an offer that was deemed attractive by both Cahill and Chelsea.

Having reiterated to the club that he will continue to give his best in the final months of his deal, Sarri has not attempted to talk to Cahill about whether or not he intends to use him or what, if any, role he will play until the end of the season.

Cahill, for his part, has kept his counsel on the subject and has continued to train with the first-team squad without demanding answers from Sarri.

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Cahill has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Europa League and, of course, the Champions League, while playing under seven different managers.

Having seen the meltdowns under Andre Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho and witnessed the sackings of, among others, Roberto Di Matteo and Antonio Conte, he would be the perfect man for Sarri to speak to about the culture at Chelsea as he fights to keep his job.

And yet Sarri has not spoken to Cahill at all about the club’s situation or asked for his input during team meetings or around the training ground. Instead, as one former team-mate put it to Telegraph Sport, he has been made to feel like a “ghost.”

Mourinho brought Didier Drogba back to Chelsea for the 2014/15 season and leant heavily on the striker’s experience in Chelsea’s title success, even though the Ivorian was not a regular starter.

Similarly, Conte convinced Chelsea to keep John Terry for another year when he arrived in 2016 and credits the impact of his experience and dressing-room influence in his title success with the Blues. Terry only started six Premier League games that season.

Maurizio Sarri talks to the media during a press conference - A win in Malmo put Chelsea back on track after their crushing defeat to Manchester City in the league credit: Getty Images

Mourinho and Conte dropped Cahill at different times, but neither man froze him out and both men ended up restoring him to their teams. Conte brought him back in time for last season’s Cup final and the former Aston Villa youngster helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 success against United at Wembley.

Given his Malmo omission, Cahill will not be confident of playing against United on Monday night even though the picture of him in the canteen should serve as a reminder to his team-mates of how the FA Cup could help rescue their season.

Another player who has been annoyed by his lack of opportunities is teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi, who was only given six minutes as a substitute against Malmo.

But assistant-manager Gianfranco Zola defended Sarri’s handling of Hudson-Odoi by saying: “He's always on the edge of the team. As soon as there is an opportunity, he plays. Sometimes from the beginning. Sometimes he comes on. The manager is giving him plenty of reasons to feel involved and wanted.

“I want to stress this out: there aren't many 18-year-olds in Europe playing as many games as he is. There might be one or two. He's playing. And, on top of that, he's a player we appreciate and we believe is growing up. He has a bright future in this club.

“You need to understand that he's surrounded by top players. You have to work hard to be better than them and that's what we want. We want him to play, but also keep improving. He can still do better than he's doing.”