Enzo Maresca reveals clear message to Chelsea star not training well enough | OneFootball

Blues boss held honest talks with player he felt needed to change

Straight talking: Enzo Maresca was honest in his assessment of one Chelsea player not doing enough in training

Getty Images

Enzo Maresca has revealed the message he sent to striker Marc Guiu having been unhappy with how he was training at Chelsea.

Guiu, who scored his first Champions League goal in the 5-1 rout of Ajax on Wednesday, was recalled from his season-long loan spell at Sunderland after only 26 days in August after Liam Delap’s hamstring injury and the respective exits of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.

Improvement: Marc Guiu scored his first Champions League goal as Chelsea thrashed Ajax at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Quizzed on what Guiu had not been doing well at Cobham, Maresca said the teenager had needed to get better in every aspect, but acknowledged he had seen a marked improvement since their chat and hailed Guiu as a traditional No9.

“He was not training well in all the ways. Since we chatted, he's been fantastic. It's good,” Maresca continued.

“Marc is a typical No9. He is physically strong, a box player. Again, he can improve and do many things better. We are working with him every game to try and help him. In terms of Joao Pedro, we know he can play as a No9 or a No10. He's very good in both positions.”

Delap is now closing in on a return to fitness, but Saturday’s game against Sunderland will come too soon for the 22-year-old, who may instead feature against struggling Wolves at Molineux in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

It means Guiu could potentially start back-to-back games for the first time in his Chelsea career, with Maresca confirming that he is in contention to play against his former club.

“Absolutely, yes (he is ready to start),” Maresca said.