Enzo Maresca blasts "impossible" Club World Cup conditions as Chelsea plans dashed

Enzo Maresca has admitted the weather conditions have become “impossible” in the Club World Cup.

Maresca revealed his squad have barely been able to train in the 38 degree heat with Philadelphia gripped by a heat wave and temperatures even at 9pm kick off time will be 30 degrees-plus. Chelsea boss Maresca also said it will be their 60th game of the season, although he insisted they cannot use the number of games and heat as an excuse.

Maresca, whose side face Club Tunis on Tuesday needing a result to qualify for the knock-outs, said: “It's almost impossible to train, to make the whole session. Because of the weather now we are trying just to save energy for the game. This morning's session has been very, very, very short.

“It's difficult to work with this temperature. In terms of the training session, it's impossible to do a normal session. I always try to avoid excuses. I always try to be honest. It’s not about excuses, it's about reality.

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“But we are here, we are trying to do our best and we're going to try to win tomorrow's game. This is the only thing that we can say and we can do.” FIFA bosses have been using “cooling breaks” during games and some stadiums - like the Mercedes Benz in Atlanta - are even air conditioned.

But Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field is exposed in the blazing sun and Chelsea have been using water sprays at their training ground and enormous mobile fans. Incredibly, it will be Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella’s 58th game this season after he played for Spain to win the Euros last summer.

Maresca admitted his concern over burnout and added: “This will be 60 games of the season. Just official games. If you put some friendly games, even more, but 60 games. And in any case, it’s the legs of the players, it's the end of the season, 60 games are 60 games.

“The ones that also have international games, it's even more. But again, we try to give them as much time as possible to recover and to be fit and to be ready for the next step we have ahead of us.”

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