Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reportedly cancelled his side's scheduled day off after the first-team's 3-0 loss to the club's under-21s in training.
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Chelsea first-team loses to U21s in trainingMaresca cancels scheduled day off as a resultBlues under mounting pressureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to The Athletic, Maresca had scheduled for everyone to have Thursday (March 27) off but he scrapped the idea after his first-team, made up of non-internationals and top academy players, were well beaten by their younger, more inexperienced counterparts in midweek. It was not a 90-minute game but the manner of the defeat displeased the Italian.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Chelsea were challenging for the Premier League title at the tail end of last year but a poor run of form has left them in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification and questions are mounting over Maresca's long-term future. This act from the ex-Leicester City boss shows he wants to maintain high standards at the Blues, though.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the training match, where the under-21s even called on under-16s to play, Donnell McNeilly reportedly scored two goals for the younger of the teams.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Maresca will hope his Chelsea players improve a great deal when they host local rivals Tottenham next Thursday in the Premier League.