by With less than 48 hours until the start of our Premier League season against Manchester City, the Chelsea players were in high spirits during their penultimate training session before the game.
On a sunny Friday in Surrey, Enzo Maresca combined physical exercises with tactical work and teamwork, with the focus on the visit of the reigning champions, coached by his former colleague Pep Guardiola.
The same game last season was one of the best in the league. We played an exciting 4-4 draw. Thanks to a penalty in injury time, we deservedly got a point.
Palmer, who of course joined from City this time last year, played the second half of our last friendly against Inter Milan. The star player of the 2023/24 season will be hoping to start against his former club and he certainly enjoyed himself today!
Maresca answered questions from the media after training and confirmed that his team was healthy except for Reece James, who was already suspended for the game.
The head coach gave an update on Pedro Neto’s availability after his first training sessions with his new teammates.
“Pedro is in good physical shape, the only problem is that he has only been here for two or three days and therefore needs to get used to our style of play.
“He is definitely fit, but whether he starts for us or sits on the bench is up to us. But he is physically fit enough to play and he is available.”
In his press conference, a journalist wanted to know whether Maresca’s Chelsea team could always play the same way regardless of whether Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku was leading the attack.
“If Nicolas or Christo are playing as number nine, it certainly means you are looking for something else,” Maresca replied.
“You can’t expect the same thing from two completely different players.”
If Jackson gets the nod on Sunday, it will be his first start of the summer after recovering from an injury sustained on international duty.
Maresca, meanwhile, has told Nkunku he can play on either wing, as a number nine or in the gap between our midfield and attack. The Frenchman told us ahead of his second season that it really feels like the beginning of his time at Chelsea due to the injury problems that have plagued him.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like I had a first season here,” admitted Nkunku. “It was very difficult. I only played a little bit. A few minutes here, a few minutes there. I was very frustrated all season.”
“The most important thing now is to be ready to work and be happy with myself. I haven’t been happy for a year, so the most important thing is to be happy. You can’t share moments with the fans if you’re not happy.”
Nkunku and his teammates hope to create some wonderful memories for the fans on Sunday.
