Chelsea Say Maurizio Sarri Left Training Early Due to Set-Piece 'Frustration'

Chelsea have said the reason manager Maurizio Sarri stormed out of their training session on Tuesday was due to "frustration" at not being able to practice set pieces.

The Italian was captured on camera leaving the session 15 minutes before it was scheduled to end on the eve of their UEFA Europa League final clash with Arsenal.

As relayed by BT Sport, Gonzalo Higuain and David Luiz appeared to be unhappy with one another, with Sarri leaving the session not long after, clearly exasperated at something:

However, as relayed by Dominic Fifield of the Guardian, the Blues have said Sarri's angst was nothing to do with his players.

"Maurizio's frustration displayed at the end of training was not related to any of his players, but was due to not being able to practise set plays in the final 15 minutes of the hourlong training session as it remained open to media," a club spokesperson said.

Sarri goes into the game in Baku, Azerbaijan, with his future uncertain. As Fifield noted in his report, Italian champions Juventus have been linked with the former Napoli boss, as they continue to search for a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri.

Earlier in the day, Sarri said he has "love" for his players and for the Premier League, although he added "I have to consider the future."

The Italian is not someone who has shied away from showing emotion in the public eye. In February during the Carabao Cup final, Sarri was furious with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who refused to be substituted out of the game:

Despite a loss to City that day and criticism throughout the campaign from some Chelsea supporters regarding the team's style of football, Sarri has had a solid first season at the London club.

Not only has he led the team to two cup finals, the Blues are already sure of a place in the UEFA Champions League next term, as they finished in third place in the Premier League.

Ahead of the match, the 60-year-old talked up the job he has done at Stamford Bridge:

Beating Arsenal in the Europa League final would put some gloss on the 2018-19 season and give Chelsea a boost ahead of a key summer. Not only is there uncertainty over the future of the manager and star man Eden Hazard, who has been linked with Real Madrid, the Blues are banned from registering new players in the transfer window.

If Chelsea are going to win on Wednesday, it looks like they will have to do so without N'Golo Kante. Per Fifield, he was limited to just 30 minutes of light running, meaning the French midfielder is a big doubt for the final.