It was a wet day in Cobham as Chelsea took to their training pitches ahead of another Champions League game. The Blues face Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but have already qualified top of Group E, to make it into the last-16 of the competition.
As a result, Graham Potter has a much-needed opportunity for some rest and rotation in his starting XI. However, he will not want to follow up his first defeat as Blues head-coach with a second against the Croatian side.
Mateo Kovacic and Kepa Arrizabalaga were both absent from the group that prepared in the rain. The latter had an issue with his foot against Brighton and was substituted at half time, while Kovacic has been managing a knee issue this season.
READ MORE: Graham Potter handed double Chelsea injury blow ahead of Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal
football.london was able to observe the opening 15 minutes of Chelsea's training and here's what we learned.
Youngsters left in the cold
Those invested in the club's academy would have eagerly awaited finding out which members could be involved in the training session ahead of the final Champions League group game. Chelsea's situation allows for a low pressure environment to introduce youth at least onto the bench.
Lewis Hall, Dion Rankine and Zak Sturge were first out on the training pitches on Tuesday morning, passing a ball between themselves in a bid to keep warm. They were left waiting a while, and were soon cajoled into the changing rooms.
They were first out once again, even ahead of the goalkeepers, but with new jumpers to look the part as they awaited their teammates. Eddie Beach, who joined the club from Southampton this summer, came out with Edouard Mendy and Marcus Bettinelli to fill out Chelsea's goalkeeper numbers for the session.
Lewis Hall is already on the club's B list and hence eligible to be involved in Chelsea's squad tomorrow. It will be interesting whether anyone else is added or if he is involved with the Blues' under-19 side also involved in the UEFA Youth League.
Carney Chukwuemeka trains alone
The first of Chelsea's outfield stars to emerge from the indoors was Carney Chukwuemeka, who was not in the Blues' squad to face Brighton at the weekend. The former Aston Villa youngster, was joined by a coach and went to the far corner of the pitches to do some light jogging.
He did not join with the rest of the squad and while they started drills, he returned inside.
Graham Potter's conversation
The Chelsea boss was out surveying the pitches ahead of his team, with his fellow backroom staff ahead of Tuesday's session. Anthony Barry was out first and involved in setting up cones on the pitches before the likes of Bruno and Billy Reid emerged with Potter.
The 47-year-old wasted little opportunity as his goalkeepers came out, to take Mendy to one side for what appeared a pretty in-depth chat. The Senegal international seems set to start for the first time under Potter and perhaps he was being briefed on what he expected, as he took priority on the drills that prevailed for himself, Bettinelli and Beach.
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