Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca Comments on Title Race, January Window, and Player Roles

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca held a press conference ahead of the Premier League fixture against Fulham on Thursday, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. During the briefing, Maresca provided an update on Romeo Lavia, stating the midfielder is “still recovering” but is now “much, much better,” though he will not be available for Thursday’s game. Addressing whether his comments about Chelsea not being in the title race were intended to alleviate player pressure, Maresca responded: “It is not about the pressure for the players or for the club or for me, it is about the reality. Not about the pressure because we would like that kind of pressure and hopefully soon we can. The reason I said we are not there is because the reality is we are not there. We will see game by game.” When questioned about Fulham’s historically poor performance at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea manager remarked that “it is football.” He further elaborated: “Against Brentford it was the other side and we won that. I don’t pay attention to the past, I just try to be focused on what they do, how we can beat them, how we can be good on the ball and off the ball. The results you can’t control, but you can control how you play.” Regarding the upcoming January transfer window, Maresca stated: “For us, the main focus is we have a clear idea about players. We could have players who aren’t playing a lot who may leave, but in this moment it is not something we pay attention to. We have three games before that then we will see.” Asked if Mykhailo Mudryk, who failed a drugs test, has been granted time away from the club, Maresca commented: “In this moment, it is also good he can disconnect a bit from the situation.” Maresca attributed Chelsea’s league-leading number of shots hitting the post and crossbar this season as a “consequence” of their chance creation, expressing hope that “in future we can be a bit more lucky and take chances.” Addressing Cole Palmer’s difficulty in finding space during the match against Everton, Maresca explained: “Next step for Cole is to manage that moment. Most teams mark man to man so it is difficult for him. One solution could be Joao [Pedro], another could be Joao and Cole together.” Maresca concluded by reiterating his long-held view: “I have also said since day one – we can’t just rely on Cole’s shoulders for every game.”