Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea fans had their worst fears realised last night when Ruben Loftus-Cheek hobbled off injured against New England Revolution.
The Blues were in Boston for the 'Final Whistle on Hate' match which was part of the Blues's 'Say No to anti-Semitism' campaign, something that is very close to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's heart.
Indeed, for the first time this season, the Russian was actually in attendance to watch a Chelsea match with Abramovich at the Gillette Stadium to watch the 3-0 Blues win.
However, Sarri was not a huge fan of having the play the match with the Europa League final against Arsenal in Baku just two weeks away.
What Maurizio Sarri has planned for his Chelsea players ahead of Europa League final vs Arsenal
Out in America, Sarri was a notable absence. The Chelsea boss did not take the pre-match press conference, the post-match press conference or indeed take the trip to the New England Holocaust Memorial.
It was down to the Blues boss having a stomach bug, although he did take the match from the sidelines and was visibly frustrated when Loftus-Cheek went down injured.
For supporters, the idea of a post-season friendly, even though it was for a worthy and important cause, just seemed slightly strange.
And Sarri's quotes before the game, went to show that he had some really early concerns.
What Sarri said after the Frankfurt match...
Is the Boston friendly a problem for you?
"A problem? We go there for a good reason I think, so as a man I am very happy to go there. As a coach, of course, I am a little bit worried because I know very well that the team now needs rest. So it is not the best way to prepare the final, I think."
Does the match in Boston give Arsenal an advantage?
"Arsenal is not my problem. I have to look to my players, so I know very well that my players need to rest, and after four or five days they need to work for three or four days and then they need to prepare for the match. The match will be interesting and difficult."
Will they get some time off after Boston?
"I think so, I think so. I want to speak to the physical staff, to the doctor and then we need to prepare the program. I think that they need three or four days completely in rest.
"I am not worried about the physical side, I think it is more difficult to recover mentally. Because in a match like this one you spend, usually, a lot of energy and then of course you have to go down and then it is not easy to go up again."
New England Revolution vs Chelsea TV channel and live stream: How to watch Boston clash
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