Maresca: Will Give Players Playing Opportunities, Palmer Needs Protection

At 3 a.m. on October 4, in the first round of the Europa Conference League, Chelsea will play against Gent at home. Chelsea’s head coach, Maresca, attended the pre-match press conference.

Regarding the team’s personnel situation, Maresca said: “Apart from Reece James, all other players are available to play. We are trying to share playing time among everyone. It seems that we have players who can participate in cup matches and some who can play in the league, but this is not the case. We just want to give them an opportunity. The reason Hall was not included in the squad against Brighton was not due to an injury but my decision. I do not regret excluding Chilwell from the Europa Conference League squad.”

Maresca talked about Chelsea’s control of the game: “In the match against Brighton, I was more satisfied with our performance in the second half than in the first. Sometimes we lack control, but we need to analyze that the opponent also likes to control and attack.”

Regarding Palmer’s situation, Maresca said: “We played several games without Palmer, but for us, Palmer is a player we need. We also need to consider protecting some players. There is a reason behind this, and I believe Palmer needs protection.”

In addition, Maresca also talked about Mudryk’s situation, saying: “Mudryk started in the match against Wolves. We gave him some playing opportunities. All players want to start from the beginning, but sometimes this is not possible. Against Barrow, Mudryk performed well. I think when he is on the field, he does a good job. Hopefully, Mudryk can play a good game against Gent. We can say the same about Nkunku. The club signed him as a big-name player, and currently, he has not made an appearance in the Premier League, but situations in football change quickly. This is the current situation, but it doesn’t mean it will be like this for the entire season.”

Regarding the team’s current form, Maresca said: “In terms of points, we are doing well. In terms of our style of play, we are performing better than expected, but we can still improve.”