The 5th Stand app and the official Chelsea website have been granted exclusive access in Los Angeles as Thomas Tuchel and his players step up preparations for the new campaign.

Here’s a look at what happened on day two in California…

Duo link up

Sunday started with the Blues contingent adjusting to their new time zone on the west coast of America and shaking off the cobwebs of jetlag after our long daytime flight from London the previous day.

Following a light session on Saturday, training intensified in the searing sunshine at the UCLA campus this morning and the group was bolstered by two new arrivals as Jorginho and Conor Gallagher linked up with their team-mates for the first time.

There was more ball work and plenty of exertion, with the ice baths a welcome relief at the end of a tough start to the day.

Tuchel walks the talk

Long established as a key part of pre-season grafting, the shuttle runs are designed to bring the players’ fitness back up to speed following the summer break. The morning session concluded with the group being split and put through their paces at increasingly demanding intervals by the conditioning staff.

Among those pushing themselves back and forth up the field was the boss, who walked the talk by joining in and setting the standard.

Cole pitches in

Later on Sunday afternoon, we headed over to Dodger Stadium with Joe Cole to capture the former Chelsea star throwing the first pitch to kick-off the MLB game between the LA Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs.

Joe was granted an exclusive tour of the stadium, met and chatted with players and coaches and posed for photos in front of a very welcoming crowd. He even got the opportunity to check-in with the Dodgers squad in the locker room, before heading to the batting cages to get a feel for what pitching the baseball would be like.

Joe was given a standing ovation when he stepped back out onto the pitch, throwing down a few practices pitches before doing it for real with Dodgers star Jason Turner. Then it was time for some media duties, before heading into the stands with Dodgers officials to watch the action unfold.

The former Blues title winner was clearly getting into the action, cheering every home run as the Dodgers edged out the Cubs to secure the victory.

Kai says hi on social media

After lunch at the team hotel, Kai Havertz headed poolside for an exclusive Twitter Q&A in which he answered the best questions from Chelsea supporters online.

Among the subjects he was quizzed on were his favourite Chelsea goal and the reason why he went for such a drastic recent haircut, while there was even a dig at Christian Pulisic’s music taste!

Foundation meet and greet

The group was split for the afternoon session, with those internationals who have just returned working in the gym and the rest back out on the pitch for the second time in the day.

Chelsea Foundation staff were also present at the university campus with a strong contingent of children from grassroots teams in the area, community programmes and high school students. On an adjacent pitch, they faced various drills of their own before getting the chance to meet the Blues players and question them on a few topics.

With all the derring-do of youngsters putting their stars under the microscope, some of the squad were asked for nominations of both the best and fastest player in the team, questions that were expertly evaded by those in attendance.

The children were then given the chance for photos and autographs before the players headed out to the pitch for training. After that, it was back to the hotel for dinner followed by some well-deserved rest and recuperation as the sun set on the City of Angels.

Stay tuned on The 5th Stand app, the Chelsea website and our social media channels for more from our training camp in Los Angeles as we continue to follow the team every step of the way!