The visit of Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge on Thursday is top of the Blues' agenda – and it will be our first game since March 16 due to the international break and the scheduling of the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Those players not representing their countries were given some time off by head coach Enzo Maresca, but work was also undertaken at Cobham before the entire squad reconvened.

'Overall, it was a good international break,' Maresca explained. 'We had players with their international teams, we had players here who could rest, and we could also focus on some specific work. So overall, it was a good one.’

Our clash with Spurs begins the Premier League run-in. We have nine league games remaining and are currently fourth in the top-flight table. And Maresca insists his squad will do everything in their power to secure a place in the Champions League.

He said: 'We are there [in the top four] – and we have been there all season – so it’s our duty to try to finish there.

'And as I’ve said, this club belongs in the Champions League. So, we have to do everything in our hands possible to bring the club there.’

Both of the players who scored in last season’s corresponding fixture against Tottenham at the Bridge – Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson – were involved in training on Tuesday, as was young defender Josh Acheampong, who made his senior debut as a substitute in that 2-0 home win for the Blues.

That result and our 4-2 victory in north London in December have helped the Blues record four successive wins over Tottenham. Yet Maresca is aware of the threat posed by Ange Postecoglou's side and will not be relying on history to help us to three points.

He said: ‘I think the next game will be a different one compared to the previous game, because every game is different.

'In the first game, we didn’t start in the perfect way as we conceded two goals, but the team was always there in the game and in the end we won.

'I think this one will be different, it’s a derby so will be difficult, but we have nine games to go and we need to win as many as we can.’