Key star absent, Kepa makes his case - 3 things spotted in training ahead of Chelsea vs Al Hilal

It was as the sun disappeared behind the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium that Chelsea's players emerged for their final training session ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final against Al Hilal, winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League.

Chelsea's coaching staff were waiting but there was no Thomas Tuchel. The German is, of course, absent having tested positive for Covid on Friday evening. Instead, the session would be overseen by technical director Petr Cech, Zsolt Low, Arno Michels, Anthony Barry, and the rest of the coaching team.

There was no heavy-duty work undertaken by the Blues' players; it was a session largely designed to keep the squad ticking over for tomorrow's clash and one that lasted around an hour at dusk in Abu Dhabi.

What comes next will not be simple for Tuchel and his coaching staff. A side will need to be selected and the conversations will have to take place over the internet with the Chelsea head coach back at his home in Surrey.

"We have a lot of support to work in this situation and a lot of video calls with Thomas," Low said during his pre-match press conference.

"He'll support us as best he can and give us preparation in meetings every day. In the next few days, there's the possibility for him to talk to the team [via video]. We have to figure that out.

"We all the time have phone contact with Thomas, also during the game so he can analyse and we can try to translate to the team."

Given the light workout, it's unlikely the Chelsea side is picked based on today's session. Yet there were a few takeaways from training and here are four things we spotted.

Last Friday, ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup clash against Plymouth Argyle, Tuchel stated James would not be part of the squad that travelled to the UAE