Chelsea rest players, face ES Tunis in Club World Cup group decider

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is preparing to rotate his squad heavily for their final Club World Cup 2025 group stage match against ES Tunis, needing only a draw to advance to the knockout rounds. The team is contending with extreme heat in Philadelphia, which has forced shortened training sessions and cooling measures to preserve player energy. Key players such as captain Reece James and Levi Colwill are likely to miss the game due to illness, while striker Nicolas Jackson is suspended following a red card in their previous defeat to Flamengo. Maresca aims to give opportunities to less-utilized players like Christopher Nkunku and Andrey Santos amid these challenges, although Nkunku's future at Chelsea remains uncertain with transfer interest from Manchester United. Despite the difficult conditions and squad changes, Chelsea is focused on avoiding a group-stage exit and conserving energy for upcoming matches. The club is also reportedly considering goalkeeper transfers, but this is a separate issue from the immediate competition concerns.