Chelsea stars evacuated during training ahead of Sunderland clash as fire brigade called

Chelsea players were forced to evacuate their training ground just hours before taking on Sunderland in the Premier League. The west London outfit were due to train on Friday afternoon but saw their preparations thrown into chaos by safety concerns at their Cobham facility.

There were worries about a chlorine leak after an alarm sounded in the swimming pool area of the complex. Players and staff were instructed to leave the building as fire crews raced to the scene to investigate.

A number of Chelsea stars were already thought to have been in their training kit when the incident took place, reports the Express.

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Firefighters subsequently confirmed that it was a false alarm and everyone was permitted back into the building to retrieve their belongings.

Chelsea players were still able to participate in their scheduled 3pm training session despite the disruption, according to The Sun.

A statement from the Blues read: "Fire services responded to an automatically triggered alarm at Chelsea FC's Cobham training faciliity. As a precaution, all staff were safely evacuated.

"Emergency services confirmed a false alarm, and staff and players were able to return to the building."

Chelsea's training facility features a cutting-edge hydrotherapy pool, measuring 56 feet in length.

It is equipped with an underwater treadmill and cameras to assist players recovering from serious injuries, ensuring their progress can be tracked by staff.

The Blues are hoping that Friday's incident won't affect their upcoming match against Sunderland, a team that has only suffered two losses in their eight league games since their promotion last season.

During his press conference, Enzo Maresca was asked about the Black Cats, and he responded: "I think they show since the season starts that they are a very good team, they play together, they work together, they play as a team.

"Also in terms of results, they have the same points as us so they are showing how good they are doing since they started and the game, it's a Premier League game, I don't think there is any game that can be easy, they are all difficult games.

"I spent one season with Leicester in the Championship and I love the Championship, so even if we play Premier League or Champions League, I always watch the Championship, so I watch Sunderland since last season when the new manager arrived.

"They are doing very good not just from this season but from last season. They play good football, they are quite strong, physically strong, so I really like the way they are doing things."