Chelsea warmed up for clash with Tottenham by playing against their youth side
But after the first team lost 3-0, manager Enzo Maresca cancelled their day off
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By KIERAN GILL
Published: 18:34 EDT, 2 April 2025 | Updated: 18:34 EDT, 2 April 2025
Enzo Maresca says Chelsea’s players received his message loud and clear after the Italian was so alarmed by the poor standard in training last week that he cancelled their day off.
Ahead of Thursday's showdown at home to Tottenham, an in-house friendly was arranged between the first-team stars who had not travelled away on international duty and a side made up of Under 21s from the academy.
The youngsters won 3-0 — with 19-year-old striker Donnell McNeilly scoring twice — and Maresca responded by hauling the first team back into Cobham the next morning.
Jadon Sancho was among those not called up for England, and he has not scored for Chelsea since December 8 — the last time they faced Tottenham, a 4-3 away win. Sancho was one of the new signings warned over the phone by Maresca in the summer that if he did not work properly during the week, he would not play.
Asked yesterday if Chelsea’s senior players understood his standards now, Maresca said: ‘Absolutely, yes. The day after, they were completely aware of the standards of the day before. It was a normal session (the next day). It was not about punishment or making them run. Just a normal session.’
Maresca conceded the friendly was not an official game, that he was missing big names and that they had to borrow a few youngsters themselves to complete their ‘senior’ team.
Enzo Maresca is desperate to ensure Chelsea don't slack off at the business end of the season
Cole Palmer is set to return for Chelsea against Tottenham on Thursday after a muscle problem
Jadon Sancho has failed to impress at Stamford Bridge since arriving on loan from Man United
But the Chelsea manager continued: ‘The day after is off so you are thinking, “It’s already off”. But it’s not off. Tomorrow is off. Not today.
‘Today, you have to do the right job and if you don’t do the right job… when we are here, we need high standards.’
Sancho has only managed four shots on target in 1,433 Premier League minutes this season, since his arrival on loan from Manchester United. That is fewer than Joao Felix, who is no longer with the club but managed six in 363 before joining AC Milan on loan in February.
Maresca said of Sancho: ‘It is up to (the wingers) if they want to cross, go one-v-one, if they want to shoot. Jadon could shoot much more. That is something we have invited many times.
‘Hopefully he is going to shoot more from now on. For us, it’s important to arrive there, with Jadon, with Noni (Madueke), with Pedro (Neto), with Tyrique (George).’
Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Madueke have been passed fit to start against Spurs but only Palmer is ready to play the full 90 minutes.
Romeo Lavia has suffered a setback in training. It is further frustration for the midfielder whose Blues career has been curtailed by injuries since arriving from Southampton for £58million in the summer of 2023.