It might do them no harm whatsoever
It’s fair to say Chelsea’s preparations for the Europa League final have been far from ideal. From Reuben Loftus-Cheek getting injured in tiddlywinks over in America to Ngolo Kante’s ever-reducing chances of lining out.
Eden Hazard is ready for the high road while Callum Hudson Odoi and Antonio Rudiger will both be on the sideline.
And then there’s the eve-of-the-final training session. Normally, these occasions take place behind closed doors but Chelsea’s final preparations went ahead in front of the world’s media on Tuesday night.
And relations weren’t too rosy in the blues camp.
It all began with a couple of niggly challenges between David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain in the training match, the final part of the side’s run out. The Brazilian and Argentine weren’t best pleased with each other and took turns venting their frustrations.
Neither appeared willing to make up though, and their onlooking manager the 60-year-old Maurizio Sarri had seen enough.
By now renowned with the odd meltdown, the former Napoli coach made a beeline for the tunnel, booting his cap out in front of him along the way.
He didn’t return for the end of the session with the mood clearly tetchy in the blues camp.
Tempers fraying in the Chelsea camp? 😡
Higuain and Luiz come together in training and Maurizio Sarri is furious! pic.twitter.com/obSZ51KGGd
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 28, 2019
Martin Keown and co. criticised Sarri for his overreaction on BT Sports but while the disharmony doesn’t look good, it’s always said that a little bit of bite and tension does a team no harm.
The edge is where you want to be for big games like this one and these Chelsea players certainly look fairly wired for it.
Time will tell.
