Enzo Maresca to rest players for Chelsea vs Esperance de Tunis at Club World Cup
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca will rest a number of players for the team's final Club World Cup group fixture against Esperance de Tunis on Tuesday, with Reece James among those likely to sit out.
The Blues need only avoid defeat against the Tunisian side in Philadelphia to be assured of a place in the last 16 and the Italian is set to take advantage of his side's position in the group after two matches to give some rest to his squad.
Captain James is unwell and did not train on Monday while fellow defender Levi Colwill is likely to be left out having also been suffering from illness.
'Tomorrow we will do some rotation because the ones who played two games are quite tired to play again,' said Maresca. 'So we will make rotation and we will see if there is a chance for those who haven't played as much.
'Reece, the reason why (he didn't train) is because he is ill. Levi Colwill has also been ill in the last two days, but today was better and part of the session.'
Maresca will also be without Nicolas Jackson who serves a one-match ban following his dismissal for a studs-up tackle in the 3-1 defeat against Flamengo.
The Senegal striker was shown a straight red card minutes after his team had conceded two quick-fire goals to throw away the lead against the Brazilian side.
It is the second time in as many months that the 24-year-old will have served a suspension for getting sent off after he was red carded in the Premier League run-in for elbowing Newcastle defender Sven Botman. Chelsea went on to lose 2-0 at St James' Park.
Maresca's side also have a punishing climate to cope with in the United States as they seek to avoid the embarrassment of a group-stage exit, with temperatures hitting 38 degrees in Philadelphia on Monday.
Off the back of a season in which the team went all the way to the final of the Conference League, as well as Champions League qualification going down to the final day of a hard-fought Premier League run-in, the Italian has been forced into caution over how much he can squeeze from his squad.
'It's almost impossible to train a full session because of the weather,' he said.
'We are trying to save energy for the game. This morning's session was very short, just plan for tomorrow, that's it. No more than that.
'It's not easy with these temperatures, but we will give our best tomorrow to get to the next stage of the competition.'
Prior to the defeat to Flamengo, the Blues had got their time in the US off a smooth start with a 1-0 victory over Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Reds designate INF Jeimer Candelario for assignment
June 23 - The Cincinnati Reds designated infielder Jeimer Candelario for assignment on Monday, just halfway through a three-year, $45 million contract he signed before the 2024 season. Candelario, 31, had been on the injured list since late April due to a lumbar spine strain. The Reds reinstated him from the IL on Monday in order to DFA the veteran first and third baseman. "At the end of the day, you have to look at it as a sunk cost because you can't bring a player that's not going to help his team win," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall told The Athletic. Candelario played in 22 games, with 12 starts at third base and seven starts at first, before going on the IL. He batted an abysmal .113 (9-for-80) with two home runs and 10 RBIs. In his first season in Cincinnati, he made 112 appearances and batted .225 with 20 homers, 23 doubles and 56 RBIs. Following stints with the Chicago Cubs (2016-17) and Detroit Tigers (2017-22), Candelario had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, split between the Washington Nationals and Cubs. He batted .251 with career highs of 22 homers and 70 RBIs, prompting the Reds to pursue him in free agency. The Reds are moving forward with Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer as their main corner infielders. --Field Level Media
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Tom Brady told the Raiders not to sign Sam Darnold before Geno Smith moved to Las Vegas
Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for a huge 2025 campaign after an offseason of upheavel in Sin City. Maxx Crosby signed a huge new deal, Pete Carroll took over as head coach and the organization traded for Geno Smith at quarterback from the Seattle Seahawks. That move paved the way for Seattle to sign Sam Darnold as their main man but if the cards had fallen differently, Darnold might have been the man to usher in a new era in Vegas. But according to a report in The Athletic, seven-time Super Bowl winner and Raiders minority owner Brady was not in favor of his team making a move for Darnold, who had entered free agency. Overall, Darnold enjoyed a strong 2024. He led the Minnesota Vikings into the playoffs after starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy's season ended before it began with a knee injury in camp. But Darnold's final two games were poor and the Vikings were blown away in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, losing 27-9. Instead, the Brady-approved Smith trade in March saw the Raiders get their quarterback and Darnold would eventually sign a three-year deal with the Seahawks worth $100.5million. Smith, 34, then signed a two-year extension with the Raiders in April which could be worth up to $85million with incentives included. The quarterback played under new head coach Carroll in Seattle, too. The Raiders ended 2024 with a miserable 4-13 record, last in the AFC West but the changes since then mean they will head to 2025 with fresh optimism - albeit in a brutal division alongside Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. As well as the arrival of Smith, they also took highly-rated running-back Ashton Jeanty with their sixth pick in the first round of the NFL Draft this year. They begin the season on the road to the New England Patriots - the team where Brady won six of his seven Super Bowls - before hosting the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. Darnold, meanwhile, starts with the Seahawks against San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders don't play the Seahawks in the regular season but they do meet for a preseason game on August 7 - Darnold will almost definitely not play that day, with teams unlikely to risk their quarterbacks before the season properly begins.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Las Vegas Raiders in mourning as former player dies at age 60
The Las Vegas Raiders are honoring a former player from their days when they took the field in Oakland, California. The team released a statement on Monday afternoon announcing the passing of former offensive lineman Rich Stephens at the age of 60. Stephens, a former ninth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989, played all 29 games of his short NFL career with the Raiders. 'The Raiders family is mourning the passing of Rich Stephens, who played in two seasons with the Silver and Black,' the team's statement read. 'Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals out of Tulsa in 1989, the offensive lineman went on to play in 29 career games with two starts, all with the Raiders. 'The thoughts of the entire Raider Nation are with Rich's family at this time.'
