Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca suggested that the Club World Cup is influencing his team selections following a 2-2 draw with Qarabag that saw them surrender Champions League points.

The Blues appeared below par after making the 2,500-mile journey to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and were startled by their opponents, who established a 2-1 advantage before the interval.

Strikes from Leandro Andrade and a spot-kick by Marko Jankovic overturned the match after Estevao's early goal had seemingly set Chelsea on course for a comfortable victory.

A second-half equaliser from Alejandro Garnacho salvaged a point for the visitors, but following Maresca's seven changes from the side that defeated Tottenham at the weekend, he highlighted a fragmented pre-season and absence of a summer break.

"The intention was to rest Moises (Caicedo), Enzo (Fernandez), Malo (Gusto) and more players," he said. "They are not able to play every three days. The Club World Cup affected a lot. We tried to rotate. When we win, nobody mentions that but when we don't, everyone is focused on that."

The final of the summer competition in the...