Enzo Maresca shares devastating injury news as star out for season and title hopes dented

Jan 03, 2025 16:45

Enzo Maresca during a Chelsea press conference (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

Enzo Maresca addressed the media with an update ahead of their Premier League journey to Crystal Palace on Saturday. During his press briefing, he fielded questions about team injuries and strategies, with one main injury message carrying an air of doom and gloom.

Concerning player recoveries, Maresca reported, "Reece [James] is back. Romeo is very close, he has started to work with us. For the rest, there is not any update. Kiernan is still out. Unfortunately Wes will be out for a very long time. Benoit will be out until at least February. So the only two big updates are on Wes Fofana and Benoit but both are going to be out for a very long time."

Asked if surgeries are required, he clarified, "Not at the moment. For sure, not Benoit. For Wes, not at the moment."

On how this informs their transfer window decisions, he said, "We'll see, now the focus is on tomorrow's game, that is an important game like the rest, so the focus is just about tomorrow, but for sure these two players they're going to be out for a long time, so we'll see."

Regarding Reece James' progress, Maresca revealed, "He's back, the last game against Ipswich he was with us just to be with us on the squad; the plan was not to give him any minutes. Tomorrow is different, we can give him minutes, so hopefully we all know how important this game is for us, so hopefully he can get minutes very soon."

When probed about Chelsea's position in the title race and whether the holiday results support his stance of not being in contention, the Italian boss mused: "Yeah, but I didn't need to wait to lose a game to understand that, this is the reason why, and I always said the same, I would like to tell you.

"We are there because it's something nice, it's not something bad to be in the title race, but the reason why I said it is because I don't think we were ready. We aren't ready, and as I said I didn't need to wait to lose two games in a row to prove myself or you that I was."

When asked about the dip in form, he replied: "I'm always concerned even when we win games, but I don't think it's bad form, I think it's just analyse game by game, against Fulham we were winning 1-0 until 82-83 minutes and then we conceded two goals. Ipswich probably was not our day in terms of, I don't know how many chances we created, clear chances, but probably their desire not to concede and to win the game was higher than us."

On the importance of not slipping up again, he said: "Not only this weekend, the next 19 games. it's important that we're going to be there, I said already many times I don't think one of us in this room expects us to be where we are now at the beginning of the season. That means that the team is doing very well, but now we have the second part ahead of us."

Addressing the impact of recent setbacks, he added, "No, absolutely, we don't like to lose games. We don't like to drop points, but it's not going to affect our journey because we all know, we are aware that during the season you are going to lose games."

Maresca also reflected on the team's journey so far, he pointed out, "And don't forget that this is just a journey that started five or six months ago, so it's not five years ago, or six years ago, they are still teams that they are together five or six years, and they are still fighting to win titles, primarily, and we just started five or six months ago."

When questioned about his views on the squad’s capability to contend for the title, despite being packed with exceptional talent, he reinforced the perspective that the team remains in the initial stages of its development.

"Yeah, but you don't need only good players, I said many times, for me the talent is not enough to win football. You need to add more things, things that we are adding, like to become a team in a difficult moment, and the difference between us and, I said, City, Arsenal, Liverpool, is that in that aspect they are more ready and team than us, and we're going to be there, hopefully soon."

The Blueshave now brought back Aaron Anselmino from Argentina, and Maresca offered up his plans for the wonderkid.

He said: "He's another talent, another good player, now the most important thing is that he arrives here and he adapts himself, he starts to find a house, settling in the right way.

"Then we need to give him time, because when you come from the other part of the world, you need to adapt, you need to see a new world, a new culture, but for sure we are going to try to help him to adapt as soon as possible.On Romeo Lavia's absence, you only won one of four games without him last month, what kind of impact does a fit Lavia have?

Addressing Romeo Lavia's influence on the team, the coach acknowledged his quality, saying: "Last month, but probably we won more games without Romeo previously. Romeo, no matter if we win games or we lose games, Romeo, we all consider Romeo a top player, but the most important thing for this kind of player is to be fit, so no doubt when Romeo is fit that he's top player. We just need to try to understand how we can help him not get injured."

When asked about Wesley Fofana's condition and his impact on the team, the coach expressed concern: "Unfortunately he could be out for the season, so we don't know exactly for the entire season, but unfortunately he could be out for part of the season. And we are together here since we start, and every time you ask me about Wes, I said many times that I'm in love with Wes."

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He also praised Fofana's defensive qualities: "I was in love with Wes, also because Wes is that kind of defender that gives you the chance to press and be aggressive and to leave him 1v1 with Watkins on pitch."

The coach lamented the injuries to key defenders and discussed their ability to handle tough situations: "We did exactly the same when Wes was injured with Benoit Badiashile, 1v1 with Solanke on pitch, and they can deal with that, and it's very difficult to find that kind of defender, but now unfortunately both are injured. We are trying to find different solutions, but for sure for us Wes is a huge loss."

On the prospects of finishing in the top four, the text cuts off before an answer is given.

The manager expressed his commitment to a long-term plan for the club, explaining the board's vision: "We are there, for the first part of the season. We were there almost since we started every game, we need to improve many things, but for sure we're going to try to be there at the end of the season."

He was questioned about the significance of Champions League football for the club’s future, to which he responded, "I said already many times, I have to be honest, when I met the club they never asked me to be in the Champions League top four this season. They said to me that they want to build in two, three, four, five years a team that they can fight for title, but they never said to me next year we need to be in the Champions League."

He acknowledged the importance of potential success, "Now, for sure, I'm going to tell you that if we are in the Champions League next season we are all happy, because it's where the club has to be."

When probed about specific plans for the following season, he replied, "No, in my plan I'm not thinking about June, I don’t believe about the future to be honest, because I can imagine in September playing in the Champions League, but if I don't win games, so I don't believe about the future."

He expounded his philosophy with, "Because yes, I can imagine winning game and then if we don't win, or I can imagine losing game and then if we win, so for me the future is fake, but not only football, it's my idea about everything."

"For sure you have a dream or you have a desire and if you ask me for sure it's to bring this club to the Champions League or to compete for title, like when I was a Leicester in the Championship. My dream was to bring that club to the Premier League, because it's a club that belongs to the Premier League and for Chelsea it's exactly the same, my dream is to bring this club, but then the future is a little bit fake."

On Nicolas Jackson's performances this season, he said: "He can do many things better, he's doing already very good, as you said he probably scored nine goals and last year he scored 14, so he scored most of the goals he scored last year. So hopefully he can score more goals, he can help us, but we are completely happy with Nico and the reason why he didn't play the last game against Ipswich is because we have also more players that can help us."

Regarding Ben Chilwell's future, he admitted: "No idea, to be honest. In terms of the transfer window, generally there are players that probably they are going to leave but not sure at the moment."

On whether Chilwell could leave this month, he replied: "[He] could, yeah."

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And on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, he said: "The ones that are here, they are here and then we see if it's going to happen something, but the one that they are here is because we are happy to have them here."

Maresca was queried, regarding Romeo Lavia, whether it is overly simplistic to think that his recent absence has contributed to the team's downturn?

He replied: "No, I think football is all about players. We can have the best idea, but if you don't have players, you struggle. Romeo for us is a top player and for sure with Romeo we are a better team, but when Romeo is not there we need to also manage that kind of game. I think since we started we won games without Romeo.

"We lose a game without Romeo, but for sure if you ask me we are a better team with Romeo, but not only with Romeo, we are a much, much, much, much better team with Reece James. So it's all about players, it's not about... Again, I can give the players the tools, how they are to behave for sure 100%, but if they are not good enough I can give them all the tools that I have, but if they are not good enough we are not going to win games."

Finishing with a final piece of clarity on the season-ending injury to Fofana, Maresca outlined that the hamstring tear is a new issue to the one the player was already struggling with.

"No, it was the first update, the first information we had, but then making tests we realised that it was worse than what we thought at the beginning.

"Yeah, it's hamstring and unfortunately we are going to lose him for a while.

"So it's a completely different kind of injury. It's a bit unlucky, but he will be back and he will be back good in the way he was before he was injured.

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Enzo Maresca shares devastating injury news as star out for season and title hopes dented