Chelsea were once again able to prepare for a Champions League match at Cobham on Tuesday morning. The Blues are set to fly out to Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund in Graham Potter's first appearance in the knockout stages of Europe's most elite competition.
Foggy conditions patrolled the pitches as cameras awaited Chelsea's squad to emerge from the depths of the training centre with no shortage of hats, snoods and gloves set to be on show. The likes of Bruno Saltor Grau, Anthony Barry and Billy Reid were in action early, making sure everything was prepared.
As always, Potter's goalkeepers were the first to head out for the morning's sessions as coaches continued to set up cones. Lucas Bergstrom was named on Chelsea's B list on Monday and walked out with a surprise addition to the session Ethan Wady. The American goalkeeper was on loan at Woking for the first half of the season but following some injury issues early in his spell, struggled to earn first team opportunities.
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They disappeared into the haze and were soon followed by Kepa Arrizabalaga who was not joined by Marcus Bettinelli or Edouard Mendy, who remains out after undergoing surgery on his finger.
Potter joined his staff before his outfield players made their way out and walked alone before greeting the gathered media and expressing his delight at the conditions. His attitude certainly seemed to match many of his players.
Marc Cucurella was first to follow, adjusting a neck gaiter as he walked out while Mason Mount and Kai Havertz soon joined him outside in very good spirits. A trail of players followed including the ineligible Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The volume began to turn up as they grouped together, with Chelsea's captain vocalising his joy on his way past onlookers as the first player to embrace the temperatures in shorts alone, as others utlised second layers. The atmosphere continued to ratchet up as the next group of players followed Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Hall from their indoor environment.
You could hear the players before you saw them. Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah made their way and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech soon followed with Wesley Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka. They called back and forth, appearing to continue a joke from the indoors with a buzz emerging across the training pitches.
Denis Zakaria soon led a group of new signings towards the pitches as Noni Madueke, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Felix walked together, following the footsteps of Ben Chilwell. The remaining two players for the session certainly looked in more of a rush as Kalidou Koulibaly, who returned to training following illness, first made a sprint to join his teammates before Mykhailo Mudryk put a spurt on to ensure he wasn't holding up the session.
Unsurprisingly the players began to warm up. However, they were short of Raheem Sterling, who picked up an injury in training last week, in addition to David Datro Fofana, who did not make Chelsea's European squad, and other absentees such as Armando Broja and N'Golo Kante.
It was not long before a ball was in play to put the Chelsea stars through their paces, as Potter watched on while his staff put his players to work. The customary rondo emerged and the atmosphere lifted once again as the Blues split into groups and pairs to much fanfare.
"One touch, 15 passes," came the call from Anthony Barry as players attempted to avoid being the first bodies in the centre of the circle. A few passes in for one group, Denis Zakaria's pass went rolling from the gathering with Chilwell and Aubameyang looking aghast at each other and laughed.
Neither looked to take their place in the circle as Chilwell vehemently pleaded his case to Zakaria, claiming that Aubameyang went to claim the ball so he did not make an attempt. Aubameyang opened his arms and looked at the Swiss international expectantly - it was not a decision he hoped to make. It was Chilwell who relented as Mudryk and Badiashile played rock paper scissors to see who was relieved of their defensive duties.
The Blues continued their work with the sound of boots hitting the ball, couning and laughter spreading across the fields as group of academy stars watched from one pitch over. The Blues' Champions League squad set to fly to Dortmund on Tuesday afternoon.
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