Head coach Enzo Maresca oversaw a session that saw exercises undertaken in the gym and then a workout on the grass as the Italian and his players looked to take full advantage of that additional time leading into our midweek European trip.

After defeating Southampton 4-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday evening, the Blues are next in action on Thursday when we travel to Denmark to face Copenhagen in the first leg of our UEFA Conference League last-16 tie.

Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Pedro Neto were among the group out on the training pitches at our training base yesterday evening.

That trio have each been used by Maresca in the central striker's role in the absence of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu due to injury, with Neto having impressed as the frontman against Aston Villa and Southampton.

‘Unfortunately on the transfer deadline day we lost the two strikers, so we needed to find some different solutions,' explained our head coach.

‘We tried one game with Cole, we tried the other game with Christo. It didn’t work well, so the week after we tried with Pedro and we saw that it could work.

‘I think at Villa away he did fantastic and against Southampton again. He probably gave us a threat in behind because he’s not just receiving the ball to feet, he also likes to attack in behind, something that probably Cole and Christo struggle with.

'So for us, it’s important because he’s a threat.'

The first-team players were joined on the training pitch by the younger members of our squad, and Maresca also highlighted the importance of our Academy graduates after Tyrique George, and Shumaira Mheuka – and teenage defender Josh Acheampong – were involved in that win over the Saints.

‘At the end of the game we used two young guys from the Academy, Tyrique and then Shimi. They were born in 2006 and 2007, so that also showed the club is working in the right way with young players from the Academy and I think that is important.’