Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca declared that training is “almost impossible” in Philadelphia, where temperatures have risen to 37 degrees ahead of Wednesday’s match against Esperance de Tunis.
According to The Independent, the Blues’ training was limited to a shaded part of the field and the training session was cut short the day before the game at Subaru Park, which will decide whether they advance to the Club World Cup round of 16.
Chelsea must defeat the Tunisian team in order to escape the humiliating possibility of losing at the first hurdle of FIFA’s redesigned competition.
Additionally, the build-up to their last Group D match has not been ideal due to conditions that have significantly impacted preparations.
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“It is almost impossible to train or to make a session because of the weather,” said Maresca. “Now we are trying just to save energy for the game.
“This morning’s session has been very, very, very short. It’s not easy in these conditions with these temperatures. We are going to try to do our best.”
Captain Reece James, who has been ill, is one of the players who is set to miss the game, while defender Levi Colwill has also been sick. Maresca has stated that he will rotate his team for the match.
Following his red card for a studs-up tackle during the 3-1 loss to Flamengo of Brazil, Nicolas Jackson will be suspended for one game.
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