It was shortly before 6pm on a surprisingly cool Monday evening in Los Angeles that Chelsea's players returned to the Drake Stadium pitch for their second training session of the day. Yet this one would not be as intense as the first.
With a handful of travelling media gathered toward one of the corner flags and a group of invited guests stationed on the halfway line, Thomas Tuchel and his coaching staff put Chelsea's players through a far lighter session. There were the obligatory stretches. Small possession drills. And then gruelling sprints along the length of the pitch; Antonio Conte would have been proud.
There were two players absent, however. Ben Chilwell was in good spirits as he made his way past the small crowd that had gathered on the UCLA campus but he did not undertake any of the work out on the grass. Thiago Silva also didn't lace his boots and instead undertook a massage.
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Chelsea supporters can relax; there is no reason for concern. The session was the second of the day and both players were involved in the first. Chilwell looked particularly sharp in that one as he found the net repeatedly during a drill in which the pitch had been shortened significantly.
The early evening session – even though far more relaxed – was another opportunity for players to catch the eye of Tuchel. Ethan Ampadu looked sharp in one of the possession drills while Levi Colwill's composure stood out on occasion. Billy Gilmour displayed his technique, meanwhile, twice clipping passes back off the crossbar.
Timo Werner's natural competitive edge raised its head at one point when Kepa Arrizabalaga didn't release a pass quick enough, but it was a fleeting moment of frustration from the German, who received a caring pat on the back from his compatriot Kai Havertz moments later.
The pre-season work will continue for the Chelsea squad tomorrow in the LA sunshine. It's certainly a quirk that it's cooler on the American west coast than it is in London at this moment in time. But that does mean there are no excuses and Tuchel can push his players hard.
Several were hunched over catching their breath after the final running drills. A few words followed from the German coach before the players began their recovery work with massages and ice baths. They'll do it all again tomorrow.
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