Matchday in Abu Dhabi for Chelsea and the leading piece of news this morning here was of a gas explosion overnight that prompted initial concerns around a possible terrorist attack that was later rubbished by local authorities.
While thousands of Palmeiras fans were making their way back to hotels after a comfortable semi-final win over Al Ahly, a fireball emerged from the top floors of of a building in a downtown area surrounded by luxury hotels.
Footage of the blast and emergency service reaction was uploaded to social media shortly after midnight. The US Embassy promptly warned of a potential threat but UAE authorities said afterwards that a gas cylinder had combusted on Hamdan Street and there were no injuries or casualties.
Alert levels have been high in recent weeks after the UAE's defence ministry and US military said it had intercepted and destroyed two drones claimed to be from Yemen's Houthi rebels. One attack on January 17 killed three people and injured six but following last night's incident the UAE, via state-run media, warned against rumours and false information being spread.
This morning the US Embassy corroborated that and clarified it had "an obligation to inform US citizens and personnel of potential threats ... against the backdrop of recent security incidents." It added: "The Embassy extends its gratitude to the Abu Dhabi emergency responders who contained the incident quickly and assured the safety of the city’s residents."
The incident was three miles from the Mohammed Bin Zayed stadium where Chelsea take on Al Hilal, of Saudi Arabia, tonight and ten miles from the team's hotel.
That aside all seems quiet, with plenty of the Palmeiras fans appearing a little more groggy this morning. There have still been few sightings of Chelsea supporters and tickets remain on sale for the match at the 41,000-capacity stadium.
Within the camp there was a nice moment as Edouard Mendy arrived fresh from celebrating Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations win early this morning. The entire squad and staff formed a guard of honour at the hotel as he arrived.
Yesterday evening Zsolt Low, the assistant coach, said that they would speak with Mendy around his condition ahead of the game with Kepa Arrizabalaga more likely to keep his spot after some decent recent performances.
