Ruben Loftus-Cheek has rejected the idea that Chelsea's charity game against New England Revolution will disrupt the team's Europa League final preparations, insisting the match comes at a good time for the players to make a stand against discrimination.
Chelsea play MLS side New England Revolution in Boston on Wednesday night as part of the club's award-winning Say No To Antisemitism campaign.
The fixture was set up by the owners of the two clubs, Roman Abramovich and Robert Kraft, and was first announced back in March before Chelsea reached the Europa League final, which will be contested against Arsenal on 29 May in Baku.
Blues coach Maurizo Sarri praised the sentiment behind the Final Whistle On Hate game, but risked upsetting Abramovich when he expressed his concerns about the physical and mental toll that the four-day trip to Boston could take on his players.
But following a season in which there have been several high-profile incidents of racism and anti-Semitism in football, Loftus-Cheek insisted the fixture against New England Revolution will ensure Chelsea send out a clear message that discrimination of any kind won't be tolerated in the game.
When asked if the trip to Boston came at a tricky time for the Blues given their upcoming Europa League final, Loftus-Cheek told Standard Sport: "No, I don't think so.
"We have a while after that to prepare for the final, but it's our duty as players to do things like this and help events against discrimination. We have to do it as a club that has a big impact on the football world. It's down to us to play a part.
"From what I remember, this season we've had a few incidents [of discrimination] so it's a good time to have a game like this and increase awareness about that we don't want that stuff anywhere near football, or in life in general. So it's come at a good time for us to do it."
Chelsea's game against New England Revolution at the Gillette Stadium will raise money and awareness for several initiatives including the World Jewish Congress, the Tree of Life synagogue, the Anti-Defamation League and the Holocaust Educational Trust.
