'It's so difficult' - Chelsea's Malo Gusto admits he struggled to breathe as New Jersey temperatures soared during Club World Cup semi-final win over Fluminense

Chelsea right-back Gusto has revealed he struggled to breathe amid the extreme weather conditions during his side's semi-final victory over Fluminense at the Club World Cup. A double from Joao Pedro was enough for the Blues to book their place in the final, where they will face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.

High temperatures have plagued the tournament in the United States, with critics arguing more must be done in regards to player welfare with the World Cup coming up next year. Humidity hit 55% and a local heat warning was put out while Chelsea faced Fluminense, and Gusto, who came off in the 68th minute, says he was glad to get through the ordeal unscathed.

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Speaking after the game, Gusto said: "It's so difficult on the pitch. It was hard to breathe and we are happy to come through it and go through.

"It's complicated to play in these kind of conditions. It doesn't matter, we've to stay focused on ourselves, stick to our plan and give everything.

"It's [the same] for all the teams. The most important thing is that we did the job. We will try to win this final and win the trophy."

Real Madrid and PSG will also have to deal with the heat during their semi-final on Wednesday night, with temperatures expected to reach 33° in New York.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side will have the chance to add to their Conference League trophy in the final on Sunday and then have just under a month before their next game, a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen.