Unlike the rest of this midweek there was no double training for the Chelsea squad on Wednesday, but the morning session extended well into the afternoon in the Surrey sunshine.

There was a mixture of work with the ball, a staple of Maresca's training since day one, and exercises without it to help strengthen the muscles, some undertaken collectively and others individually, tailored to each player's needs.

Maresca has now had 10 days to work with his squad and he will be excited to see the impact his coaching has had so far when we meet Wrexham in Santa Clara in a week's time.

Benoit Badiashile finished last season well and he will be keen to pick up where he left off when the Blues resume match action during our USA tour.

Christopher Nkunku is another who showed glimpses of his ability during the closing weeks of 2023/24, and we will hear from the forward on this website in the coming days.

With training finished, it was time to take on some fluids and have a well-earned rest before the hard work starts all over again on Thursday, with a double training session scheduled.