A Chelsea player left out of the Club World Cup squad by Enzo Maresca has turned up at the tournament despite not being included in the official selection.
The Blues touched down in the United States after a strong campaign that earned them Champions League qualification and a Conference League title. ..Continue Reading
Maresca named a competitive squad featuring the likes of Cole Palmer and newcomer Liam Delap, but several notable players were omitted, including Kendry Paez, who is reportedly unhappy about missing out.
Djordje Petrovic and Raheem Sterling were also left off the list, as was Joao Felix, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at AC Milan.
Felix, who featured in 20 matches for Chelsea before his loan spell, is expected to move on this summer, suggesting his time at the club is drawing to a close.
Still, the Portuguese forward was seen at the tournament, attending the opening match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly and posting from the stands.
Meanwhile, Maresca has emphasized that his squad remains fully concentrated on the task at hand as they aim to make a mark at the Club World Cup following a promising debut season under his leadership.
“We had a few days off after the Conference League final. But then we returned and we started to prepare for this competition. It was so quick [the turnaround] and we needed to be ready,” he said.
“The good thing is that we finished the Premier League and the Conference League in the way we all wanted, so now we have arrived with a good feeling and are fully focused on this competition.”
Chelsea begin their Club World Cup campaign on Monday against MLS team Los Angeles FC. They then face Brazilian side Flamengo before meeting Tunisian club ES Tunis.
