Maresca Discusses Player Availability, Midfield Balance, and Team Philosophy Ahead of Manchester United Match

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca addressed the media ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United, scheduled for 16:30 GMT. The following are the main points from his press conference. Maresca confirmed that his entire squad is available for selection, with the exception of Jadon Sancho, who is ill and would have been ineligible to play against his parent club regardless. He expressed anticipation for encountering former teammate Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who will be present in the United dugout on Sunday. Maresca stated: “I didn’t speak with Ruud. I will give him a big hug on Sunday before the game. Fantastic guy, humble, very professional. I shared with him time when he was already finished but even then you could see how good he was.” Maresca affirmed his complete confidence in Enzo Fernandez, despite the £105m midfielder’s recent loss of a starting position in the Premier League. He commented: “I still trust Enzo, there is no reason in the world I can lose confidence in him. I like to say that we don’t have an A or B team. There are players that are fantastic but we don’t have indispensable players.” Regarding achieving balance in his midfield, Maresca explained: “When we play with Enzo [Fernandez], it has to be Enzo and one between Moises [Caicedo]and Romeo [Lavia]. When Enzo moves we struggle in the middle with physicality. In this moment, Moises and Romeo give us this.” Addressing Nicolas Jackson’s strong performance, Maresca remarked: “We are very happy because Nico is helping us, not just in terms of numbers but in the way we want to play. The way he links with his team-mates is helping us in our process. When he drops he gives us an extra man. When he attacks in behind, he is quick and can score goals.” Maresca dismissed the notion that his team depends on counter-attacks, stating: “It’s not for me whether we need to play slow or fast. It depends on the game. We have players in wide areas that can attack quick but I’ve said many times, the problem when you attack quick is they attack quick, then it becomes like against Newcastle – up and down.”