With a four-hour time difference, a five-hour flight time and a 5,000-mile round trip, our journey to Azerbaijan was always going to prove a logistical challenge for the coaching staff, as they weave their training and recovery plans around the travelling.

Our head coach feels like he’s found the right balance with the Blues set to remain on English time, despite being in view of the Caspian Sea. Giving supporters further clarity on our travelling arrangements, the Italian detailed how he has tried to manage his squad ahead of our game with the Azerbaijani side come Wednesday night.

‘We used yesterday [Monday] to recover after Tottenham, and it was important to be at our training ground and use our facilities for the treatment the players need,’ Maresca opened, speaking at his pre-match press conference at Cobham at lunchtime.

‘If we went there [to Baku], it wouldn’t be the same. So, we try to balance being ready for the game and recovering the energy [after Tottenham].

‘We know the long flight, they are four hours ahead, and then we will arrive at 6am on Thursday morning and have a game on Saturday night, but it’s the schedule and we try to adapt.’

With the Blues having completed their final training session before heading out to Baku, Maresca believes that his side will have to remain focused and be at their best to beat Qarabag – a team that already have two wins in the competition.

‘Qarabag have won two games like us in the Champions League, and they were also winning the other one but lost,’ he continued.

‘They are a good team, organised, intense in the way they press. They are going to be a tough team. Especially at home, they are more intense, and it will be a tough game.

‘They beat Benfica and Copenhagen, and they were winning against Athletic Bilbao, but in the end they lost. I don’t think it’s about being the favourite or not. It’s the way we try to deal with all the details of the game.’