'Embarrassing' - Enzo Maresca slams Liam Delap for Chelsea red card vs Wolves | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca expressed his frustration at Liam Delap receiving a red card during Chelsea's Carabao Cup win over Wolves.

Chelsea overcame a second half scare to seal a 4-3 win at Molineux to book their place in the quarter-finals, improving on their fourth round exit last season.

It was looking to be a positive night for Chelsea after three goals in the first half put them well on their way to victory in the Midlands.

But Wolves rallied on and pushed Chelsea, who just about hung on to knock the Premier League side out.

One positive was Delap returning from injury to make an appearance on the hour mark, completing his comeback following a hamstring injury sustained against Fulham at the end of August.

However, collectively, Chelsea's frustrations were beginning to show as they looked to hold on against Wolves.

Delap picked up his first yellow card in the 79th minute for a foul on Yerson Mosquera, who was pushed to the ground.

Seven minutes later and Delap was shown a second yellow card by referee Thomas Bramall, this time fouling Emmanuel Agbadou.

Maresca was not pleased with the Chelsea forward as he made his way towards the tunnel, which sees the England international suspended for Saturday's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

Delap sees red at Molineux as Chelsea hang on to book quarter-final place. | IMAGO / Sportimage

The Chelsea head coach was clear in his disappointment and frustration post-match when addressing the media.

As quoted by Bobby Vincent, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes (it was a red card). Stupid foul, we can avoid that."

Maresca added: "No, no, it's not to him, it's to everyone (the message). I completely understand when there are red cards like Brighton or Man United that is difficult, but red card against Nottingham Forest and red card today, both we can avoid that. And we have to avoid that.

"Yes, it's embarrassing when it's a red card like today. Because it's two yellow cards in five minutes, 10 minutes, I don't know, seven minutes. Both I think we can avoid that. So it's not good."

He concluded: "Yes, after the yellow card I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player that when he's inside the pitch probably he'll be playing the game for himself and he struggles to realise and to listen around him."