How are Chelsea fighting the heat in Philadelphia?
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says it is "impossible" to organise normal training sessions amid a "code red" severe heat warning in Philadelphia at the Club World Cup.Chelsea's players had what was described as a "very short" training session at Subaru Park, the home of local Major League Soccer (MLS) side Philadelphia Union, in 37C heat as medical staff watched.There were crates of iced water bottles around the pitch and drinks offered at every opportunity in between drills.Huge fans were placed on the sides of the pitch, blowing water spray at the players, and they trained in the only partially shaded area of the open stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Philadelphia.The 45% humidity means it feels more like 45C, according to accuweather.com, and temperatures on Monday were predicted to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C) for the first time in 13 years."As you can see, it's not easy in these conditions with these temperatures. We are going to try to do our best," said Maresca.The local public authority has warned people in Philadelphia to avoid "work in high-heat environments" and to avoid "strenuous physical activity".However, some matches at Fifa's newly expanded tournament have kicked off in the middle of the afternoon, with temperatures at their highest."It's difficult to work with these temperatures, but we are here and we are trying to do our best and we will try to win," said Maresca.The Blues are set to face ES Tunis on Tuesday evening at 21:00 local time (02:00 BST on Wednesday), with daytime temperatures predicted to reach close to 39C in Philadelphia. However, it is likely to still be around 33C when Chelsea kick off at Lincoln Financial Field.
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