Before his team’s League Cup trip to Newcastle United on Tuesday, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca stated that the London club is not pressuring him to guarantee a top-four Premier League finish in his first season in command.
Chelsea defeated Eddie Howe’s squad 2-1 in Sunday’s league game at Stamford Bridge, and now they will play them in the League Cup round of 16 on Wednesday.
Under their former manager, Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea advanced to the League Cup final the previous season before falling to Liverpool in extra time.
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Maresca’s team has dropped three of their last 14 games in all competitions since taking over for the Argentine.
With 17 points, they are one point behind third-place Arsenal in the league rankings.
“The club never mentioned to me about top four.
” They always mentioned to me the target was to build something important for the next four or five years,” Maresca told reporters.
“For sure, we work every day to reach something important.
” Pressure, on the players? I don’t think so, to be honest.
“If you go game by game, you can see yourself where you are in that moment.
“If you start to think about top four or top six, you are thinking about June and for me, it’s too far.”
Prior to their League Cup match, Chelsea had no new injury concerns, and Maresca stated that defender Wesley Fofana, who was knocked against Newcastle, was healthy enough to play.
When asked about Jadon Sancho, a former Manchester United youngster who hasn’t been used as a substitute in Chelsea’s last two games, Maresca responded,
“Players cannot maintain the same level for the whole season because the amount of games is huge, so the last two games he didn’t play simply down to tactical decisions.”
Maresca stated that the winger will see more playing time in the future.
The 24-year-old joined Chelsea on loan from United following a falling out with their former manager Erik ten Hag.
“Jadon has been doing well since he arrived,” Maresca said.
“He will play many games and the only thing he has to do is continue to work hard and when we give him a chance, he has to take it.”