Chelsea players needed 'standards' reminder ahead of Tottenham clash, says Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Chelsea’s senior players were beaten by the U21 side in a training ground match during the international break

Frustrated boss: Enzo Maresca was unimpressed with the standards in Chelsea training

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With the Blues not back in action until tomorrow night’s London derby against Tottenham, Maresca had planned to give his players a day off during the international break last Thursday.

That went out of the window, however, after a team made up largely of senior players not away with their countries - including the likes of Jadon Sancho, Malo Gusto and Tosin Adarabioyo - were beaten 3-0 by the club’s U21 side in a training ground game on Wednesday.

“It was the international break, no official games, not many players,” he explained.

“But in terms of high standards, I think it was not the right [standards]. So, we took the decision the day after to work.

“Probably the reason why it was not high standards was because you don’t have official games, you only have seven or eight players training and the day after is a day off.

Jadon Sancho was one of those involved in the training defeat to the club’s U21 side

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“So, you are thinking: ‘It’s already off.’ But it’s not off. Tomorrow is off. Not today. Today, you have to do the right job and if you don’t do the right job … when we are here, we need high standards.”

Maresca has not said away from criticising his player’s training ground efforts on more than one occasion this season, issuing Noni Madueke with a public rebuke and revealing that he warned Sancho about the level expected prior to his loan signing from Manchester United.

Asked whether cancelling their day off had sent a clear message to his squad at large, Maresca added: “Absolutely, yes. The day after, they were completely aware of the standards of the day before.”

The Tottenham game marks the start of a crucial period that will define Chelsea’s season at home and in Europe, and Maresca dismissed any suggestion that the extra training day might have risked harming morale heading into the run-in.

"They understand and they were completely aware,” he said. “Tosin was here and he is one of the leaders, and the day after, he was completely good, he was completely fine. We want to work. Nothing happened.

“It was a normal session. It was not about punishment, making them run. Just a normal session.”