Chelsea could hand a debut to new striker Liam Delap when they get their Fifa Club World Cup campaign under way on Monday.
The London side commence their challenge in the revamped 32-team tournament with a clash against Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC in Atlanta (11pm UAE).
The Blues stepped up their preparations for the Group D opener with a public training session at their Philadelphia base on Saturday, in which Delap and fellow new recruits Mike Penders, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo all played a full part.
The sight of centre-forward Delap, 22, a £30 million capture from relegated Ipswich Town, will have excited Chelsea fans, with there being high hopes he can add a fresh dimension to the attack.
Chelsea arrived in the US having sealed fourth place in the Premier League and having also won the Uefa Conference League.
“I trained Delap in the under-21s of [Manchester] City,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
“He already has experience of the Premier League, he was relegated with Ipswich, but he scored 12 goals and he is a strong guy.”
Meanwhile, speaking to Chelsea's in-house media ahead of the tournament, Delap said he was excited at the prospect of helping the club get back to its previous level when title challenges were the norm.
“Growing up watching this club, I understand the stature of it and how incredible it has been over the years,” he said.
“I wanted to come here to win trophies. When I spoke to the club, everyone wanted to get back to the very top, and they have the quality and the players to do that. The hunger and desire to keep adding trophies, to take the club back to where it belongs, that is the main objective.”
While there is a strong chance Delap will start against LAFC, it remains to be seen whether World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez will be in the first XI after playing for his national team last week.
Argentina's Fernandez was sent off during a feisty World Cup qualifier against Colombia for kicking Kevin Castano in the head.
Whether he starts Monday's opening game or not, Fernandez has spelt out his desire to help Chelsea challenge for the trophy.
As well as LAFC, the Premier League side have group games against Esperance de Tunis and Flamengo.
Fernandez said: “I’m very happy to play in it and it’s a new competition for me. I’m very happy to be able to represent Chelsea and to play for this club and let’s hope we can go and win the tournament.
“This is a very important competition being played at the global level. It’s a competition that will be watched by the whole world and we hope to do the best job possible.
“We know it’s at the end of the season, but we hope to go into it with as much energy as possible and to be able to win the trophy, which is very important for the club.
“It will be a beautiful tournament and lots of clubs from all over the world will be there,” added the 24-year-old midfielder. “I think people will really enjoy it. It will be a great event.
“Every time we travel with Chelsea there are Chelsea fans there, anywhere in the world, and it’s really nice to see them supporting us. Hopefully we can bring some joy to the people who will be cheering us on in America.”
