Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca shrugged off concerns about playing in hot and humid mid-afternoon conditions in Tuesday’s Club World Cup semi-final against Brazilian side Fluminense, for which the Blues will be without both Liam Delap and Levi Colwill.
The heat of the North American summer has made for challenging conditions for many games during the tournament, while several matches have also faced long interruptions due to storm warnings.
Chelsea and Fluminense will clash at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City, at 3:00 pm (19.00 GMT) on Tuesday, and the heat could have a serious impact on the spectacle.
Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund at a similar time in the same stadium in the quarter-finals, and the pace of the game suffered as a result of the temperatures.
“I don’t think it’s just tomorrow’s game. Like other teams we have already played in different conditions but the game is tomorrow at 3pm and so all we can do is adapt and try to win,” Maresca told reporters on Monday.
Chelsea can welcome back midfield lynchpin Moises Caicedo after he sat out the Palmeiras tie due to suspension, but striker Delap and centre-back Colwill are both banned this time while Romeo Lavia is not fit.
Nicolas Jackson, who was sent off against Flamengo, is available and new signing Joao Pedro is pushing for a start in attack. Fluminense will be the third Brazilian opponents Chelsea have faced at the competition, after they lost to Flamengo in the group stage and beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.
“The first two were very good with lots and lots of energy. Tomorrow no doubt it will be exactly the same,” said Maresca as his side prepare to take on the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners, captained by 40-year-old ex-Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.
“I think they have a very good and experienced coach. They have lots of good and experienced players and their style is quite clear. Any game at this stage of the tournament will be difficult.”
