Maresca crushes fans’ academy hopes again – but 2 midfield starlets likely to feature | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has just spoke to the press ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup game against Lincoln, and the coach had some rather disappointing news.

There’s going to be major rotation of the team, and this first game in the League Cup is often when youngsters get a chance.

Maresca denies he will play lots of youngsters

But when asked if he would be using academy players to fill the gaps, Maresca warned fans to not get too excited:

“Even if these are the games that worry me most, because you can slip very easily in these kind of games,” the ever cautious Maresca said.

“Football is full of these kind of games and I am very worried about that. But for sure we have probably some few players from the academy like we always have done.”

He’s clearly managing expectations here, but even the most result obsessed manager is going to have to get some academy players in there somewhere. He will use as many of the current second XI as possible, but injuries and fatigue mean there are inevitably going to be some youngsters called up.

Academy stars most likely in midfield

Reggie Walsh on his full debut. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

In midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo need a rest, while Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia aren’t fit. That means we’re most likely to see youngsters brought in there. Andrey Santos can play, and we expect to see a little Sam Rak-Sakyi (who Maresca used a couple of times in the Conference League last season), plus Reggie Walsh later in the game (the teenager has been highly praised by the manager before).

Beyond that, we’re not sure – maybe some Shim Mheuka minutes later on up front, after Marc Guiu gets his first run out since his return from Sunderland?