Double sessions returned at Cobham on Thursday as Enzo Maresca and his squad begin to hit their stride in pre-season, with a couple more familiar faces returning from their summer breaks.
We are approaching the end of the first week of Chelsea under Enzo Maresca, with our head coach taking his players out for a day of double sessions on the training pitch at Cobham.
The numbers in his squad were bolstered by the involvement of Djordje Petrovic and Armando Broja for the first time, as they returned from a later break after representing Serbia and Albania at Euro 2024, joining Mykhailo Mudryk as the first of our internationals to arrive at Cobham for pre-season.
That makes for two more team-mates for our new signings Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Omari Kellyman to begin getting to know, with the former Fulham defender reflecting on how he is settling in following his summer move from our neighbours.
'I’m settling in very well, getting along with all of the boys,' said Adarabioyo. 'We’ve had a few good sessions now and I’m just enjoying the football.'
The defender has also been impressed with the quality of training sessions during his first week working with Maresca.
'It’s only been a few days but you can see the detail that he wants to go into and see how important every single pass and touch is.
'Everything’s been with the ball so far. We’ve done a few runs but a lot of passing drills, a lot of possession.
'Pre-season is where the work’s put in. That’s where you get your foundations, so pre-season is vital.'