A Chelsea outcast who was 'banished' from the Club World Cup by Enzo Maresca has appeared at the tournament despite not being in their squad.
Chelsea have arrived in the United States for the Club World Cup following a stellar 2024/25 campaign, which saw the Blues qualify for the Champions League and win the Conference League.
The Italian coach has named a strong squad for the Club World Cup, with Cole Palmer and summer signing Liam Delap making the cut.
But Maresca excluded several big-name players, including Kendry Paez, who is thought to be 'disappointed' about not being involved.
Advert
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and forward Raheem Sterling were also left out.
Not to mention Joao Felix, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan.
Felix, 25, made 20 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea before being shipped out on loan.
Advert
His future appears to lie away from Stamford Bridge, with a summer move expected.
Even though he wasn't named in Maresca's squad, Felix has jetted out to the United States for the Club World Cup.
He was in the crowd for the opening fixture of the competition between Inter Miami and Al Ahly.
Felix shared footage inside the Hard Rock Stadium on social media.
Advert
Maresca, meanwhile, claims his team are fully focused on the Club World Cup following a successful debut season at Chelsea.
Advert
"We had a few days off after the Conference League final. But then we returned and we started to prepare for this competition. It was so quick [the turnaround] and we needed to be ready," he said.
"The good thing is that we finished the Premier League and the Conference League in the way we all wanted, so now we have arrived with a good feeling and are fully focused on this competition."
Chelsea begin their Club World Cup campaign on Monday against MLS side Los Angeles FC. They then face Brazilian outfit Flamengo before meeting Tunisian club ES Tunis.
Topics: Chelsea, Football, Enzo Maresca, Joao Felix
Nasir Jabbar