Chelsea's Marc Cucurella has returned to Cobham for pre-season training ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The left-back took a two-week break after Spain's victory over England in the Euro 2024 final on July 14, but he's back early, eager to impress new head coach Enzo Maresca. Cucurella ended last season on a high note with the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino and continued his excellent form into the Euros, where he was a key player for Luis de la Fuente's team.
The 26-year-old played in six of Spain's seven Euro matches and even assisted Mikel Oyarzabal's late winning goal in the final against England. While Cucurella is back at Cobham, he won't be joining his Chelsea teammates in the United States.
Instead, Conor Gallagher, Cole Palmer and Cucurella will join the squad when they return to London after their match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, August 7. There's a possibility that the trio could play in the Blues' final pre-season game on August 11 against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge.
This match against Inter is just one week before Chelsea start their Premier League campaign against reigning champions Manchester City.
In the wake of Chelsea's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Celtic, Paolo Maresca made it clear that the stars of his squad are enjoying a well-deserved break. "No, not one of them is coming. They are on holiday. They deserve it," stated Maresca, pinpointing August 6 as the date for their return with Marc being the possible exception by turning up at Cobham slightly sooner.
The Spanish defender, Cucurella, defied expectations and returned to Chelsea's training grounds ahead of schedule, announcing his comeback with a social media post captioned: "Back to the office."
Cucurella's dedication is bound to earn him plaudits from the coaching staff as he's shown his determination for the upcoming 2024/25 season, signalling his readiness to thrive in Maresca's system, reminiscent of his times under Pochettino's wing at left-back. While the physical meeting between Cucurella and Maresca will have to wait due to Maresca's commitments in the United States, they're on course to link up next week, ready to hit the ground running for what promises to be an exciting season at Stamford Bridge.
