Ruben Loftus-Cheek insists Chelsea's players did not see being forced to train on their day off as "punishment" following another lacklustre performance in the Premier League over the weekend.
The Blues blew a two-goal lead at Stamford Bridge against Wolves to draw 2-2 after Conor Coady nabbed a point in the 97th minute, leaving Thomas Tuchel's side winless in their last three matches.
With the race for a Champions League place growing nervy and an FA Cup final against Liverpool looming over the horizon, Chelsea were brought in for extra training on a rest day - but far from seeing it as penance, Loftus-Cheek insists that the experience was a good chance to take stock of the final few weeks ahead.
What has Loftus-Cheek said about extra training?
"You'd love to have a game done in the 60th minute but you rarely get that in this league," Loftus-Cheek told Sky Sports. "We went into the training ground the next day.
"I don't think the players saw it as a punishment at all. We came in and recovered. Sometimes it's better to do that when there's a short turnaround to another game.
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"We had a chat amongst ourselves just to make sure we're all on the same page and the same wavelength going into the Leeds game. It's important for us to stay together."
What has Loftus-Cheek said about hectic schedule?
Chelsea's slump in form comes amid a busy period for the club as they attempt to balance the commitments of two - until recently, three - major competitions during the business end of the season, but Loftus-Cheek says the squad are veterans now at juggling multiple fronts.
"We're used to these turnarounds now," he added. "We've played in all the competitions this season towards the latter stages and at a top club, you have to be able to switch your focus onto the closest game. For us, all of our focus is on Leeds and getting the job done.
"Qualifying again for the Champions League is huge. This club deserves to be in the competition every season and we want to reflect that again in the final few games as for the most part we've been fantastic - especially in Europe. We want to get this over the line."
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