Enzo Maresca scrapped a planned day off for Chelsea’s senior players after they were convincingly beaten by the club’s Under-21s in a training match, reinforcing his demands for higher standards.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca cancelled a scheduled day off after watching a group of senior players suffer a 3–0 defeat to the Under-21s in a training session, with 19-year-old Donnell McNeilly scoring twice. The match involved first-team players not on international duty and some Under-16s helping to fill out the youth side, making the result even more concerning for Maresca.
The Italian has repeatedly demonstrated a no-nonsense approach when training levels fall below expectations, previously dropping players like Noni Madueke for poor performances in sessions. With nine crucial matches ahead across three competitions, Maresca used the incident as a wake-up call. Meanwhile, Chelsea were handed a boost as Cole Palmer, Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson all returned to training after injuries.
