The squad stayed in Frankfurt on Monday and took part in an intense training session as the sun shone on a warm afternoon.
Following Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Eintracht, the lads were given the morning off to rest before heading back to the Commerzbank Arena complex for a taxing workout on one of the surrounding pitches, joined today by Gael Kakuta who linked up with the squad following his international success with France Under 19s last week.
The first exercise involved three groups, each player having to run out and around a series of poles before running backwards, turning and sprinting to the line, then backwards back out to jump and head a high ball back into the group. If it sounds tough, just imagine what it is like having to do it!
Next up was some ball work, the group split into four teams on two pitches, the sole aim to maintain possession in your confined area.
Carlo Ancelotti then blew his whistle, marking the end of the high-octane possession exercises before beginning two-on-two attack with one group, which also tested his keeper's abilities between the posts. Meanwhile the second group got down to a game of five-a-side under the watchful gaze of Ray Wilkins.
By now there was an audience, made up of adidas competition winners, who watched the world-class players prepare for Wednesday's clash with Hamburg and another Barclays Premier League campaign.
The session also sparked interest from the locals, who lined up alongside the surrounding fences to catch a glimpse of the Blues in practice.
The manager soon incorporated a few more players in a four-on-four session, with one side defending, the other attacking, while Sam Walker performed his duties between the posts.
He was soon replaced by Hilario, whose quick reactions twice denied Didier Drogba from finding the net, before Ross Turnbull took up the position. Drogba completed the full session following an individual post-match workout yesterday.
Once the session was over the players met some of the awaiting fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures before making their way back to the team hotel.
There, 22-year-old defender Michael Mancienne discussed his pre-season progress, having had his first game involvement on Sunday afternoon following a thigh injury.
'To be honest, even though I was injured I was still doing quite a lot of work with the physios and I was already feeling quite fit and now I'm feeling good,' he said.
'It's very important to get the match sharpness and that's what pre-season does. You need to work hard and do things right. So it works well in preparing you for the season ahead.
'We've come out here to get fitness and get ready for the coming season, and so far it has been very good.'
'For me, this is a different experience to last year because we went to America and a lot of people have come back later because of the World Cup, so we're all at different levels of fitness but everyone is slowly getting there, and the young lads like Josh McEachran and Sam Walker have done well too.'
Following Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Eintracht, the lads were given the morning off to rest before heading back to the Commerzbank Arena complex for a taxing workout on one of the surrounding pitches, joined today by Gael Kakuta who linked up with the squad following his international success with France Under 19s last week.
The first exercise involved three groups, each player having to run out and around a series of poles before running backwards, turning and sprinting to the line, then backwards back out to jump and head a high ball back into the group. If it sounds tough, just imagine what it is like having to do it!
Next up was some ball work, the group split into four teams on two pitches, the sole aim to maintain possession in your confined area.
Carlo Ancelotti then blew his whistle, marking the end of the high-octane possession exercises before beginning two-on-two attack with one group, which also tested his keeper's abilities between the posts. Meanwhile the second group got down to a game of five-a-side under the watchful gaze of Ray Wilkins.
By now there was an audience, made up of adidas competition winners, who watched the world-class players prepare for Wednesday's clash with Hamburg and another Barclays Premier League campaign.
The session also sparked interest from the locals, who lined up alongside the surrounding fences to catch a glimpse of the Blues in practice.
The manager soon incorporated a few more players in a four-on-four session, with one side defending, the other attacking, while Sam Walker performed his duties between the posts.
He was soon replaced by Hilario, whose quick reactions twice denied Didier Drogba from finding the net, before Ross Turnbull took up the position. Drogba completed the full session following an individual post-match workout yesterday.
Once the session was over the players met some of the awaiting fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures before making their way back to the team hotel.
There, 22-year-old defender Michael Mancienne discussed his pre-season progress, having had his first game involvement on Sunday afternoon following a thigh injury.
'To be honest, even though I was injured I was still doing quite a lot of work with the physios and I was already feeling quite fit and now I'm feeling good,' he said.
'It's very important to get the match sharpness and that's what pre-season does. You need to work hard and do things right. So it works well in preparing you for the season ahead.
'We've come out here to get fitness and get ready for the coming season, and so far it has been very good.'
'For me, this is a different experience to last year because we went to America and a lot of people have come back later because of the World Cup, so we're all at different levels of fitness but everyone is slowly getting there, and the young lads like Josh McEachran and Sam Walker have done well too.'
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