There was a deserved day off granted to the players after they defeated Brighton & Hove Albion in the first game of the Premier League Summer Series. Many took the chance to finally explore Philadelphia and take advantage of the facilities at our hotel.

Yet opportunities to rest and relax during pre-season are sparse. So on Monday morning, everyone hopped on the team bus and back to our training centre in the City of Brotherly Love.

Gym, fitness and ball work was undertaken by the players in what was their first session of the day. 'It was lighter work, more movement and fitness,' explained midfielder Cesare Casadei as the players walked off the field.

'It was nowhere near as hot, but we're told evening training is going to be really challenging.'

A quick lunch at the hotel was followed by the majority of the squad undertaking different partner activities across the city.

One such event saw the Chelsea Foundation and Hilton host a festival-style clinic for 100 children in Philadelphia to introduce them to football. It was attended by Raheem Sterling, Levi Colwill, Andrey Santos, and Angelo Gabriel.

'It is great for Chelsea Foundation to be out in the community and allow the kids to develop another skill set and experience the process that comes with it,' said Sterling. 'Today reminds you to be grateful for the position you are in, and to try to influence the youth as much as possible to make the right decisions on their way to adulthood,"

The Chelsea squad was back together by late afternoon and after a pre-training snack, was back on the team bus.

The evening training session was – as anticipated by Casadei earlier in the day – far more intense as Pochettino and his staff continued to push the players hard on the pristine pitches at our Philadelphia base.

On Tuesday, the squad travel to Atlanta for our second Premier League Summer Series fixture against Newcastle United. It will be another important step as we prepare for the top-flight season ahead. The work continues.