Enzo Maresca admits Chelsea have yet to make a decision on their pre-season plans with the team also participating in the FIFA Club World Cup next summer.
Chelsea are playing in the expanded 32-team tournament that is taking place in the United States, which starts on June 15 and ends with the final on July 13.
Maresca’s side will be one of the favourites to get to the latter stages having been drawn in a group against Flamengo, Club Leon and ES Tunis.
The competition will put an added strain on the squad for this season and also give the team little time to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign.
Chelsea have gone on a pre-season tour to the U.S. every summer since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in 2022.
When asked by The Athletic if any pre-season plans have been able to be put in place yet, Chelsea’s head coach replied: “No, absolutely. Last season we started our pre-season on July 8, for sure we will have some days off in case we play the final.
“There are so many games and it is difficult, but we will see when we are close to May, June how we arrive and from there we will prepare for the competition.
“I know the group because of yesterday but I don’t know who will start, which player will finish, which player will play. I don’t have any idea yet. When we get to May I will start to see ‘we play this, play that’ but now I don’t know. I just know the group and no more than that.”
The Premier League season begins on August 16 next year and it is customary for players to be given three weeks off during the close season. Should Chelsea reach the final of the Club World Cup on July 13, it will give them very little time to fit in a full pre-season and appropriate vacation time.
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