Enzo Maresca lands blow to Chelsea squad players with reality check over rotation policy | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach’s decision to rotate his squad against Leeds backfired as Blues slumped to a 3-1 loss at Elland Road

Enzo Maresca has landed a blow to Chelsea’s squad players after he appeared to suggest that he cannot trust them to always maintain the high levels set by regular starters.

Chelsea received criticism for their flat performance in Wednesday’s night’s 3-1 defeat at Leeds, when Maresca made five changes from last weekend’s draw with Arsenal.

A rest was handed to Reece James following his tireless midfield performance against the Gunners, but it is likely he will return to the starting XI on Saturday at Bournemouth.

However, Chelsea will again be without key midfielder Moises Caicedo as he continues to serve his three-game ban for the red card he was shown against Arsenal.

“But I try always to be honest with you. In football, in life, in any job, there is a level. Andrey [Santos] unfortunately is not Moi [Caicedo]. Tosin is not Wes. They have different skills. They are different.

“If I say to you that Andrey is like Moi, you can understand for yourself that I am a liar. There is a level at all jobs. Like me. Plenty of managers are better than me. Some not. But there is a level at all jobs. So, for me, [this] is the reality.”

Tosin Adarabioyo made an error in Chelsea’s loss to Leeds

AFP via Getty Images

The Chelsea manager, who admitted rotation is the “most difficult thing for me this season”, was asked whether he would be happier to work with a smaller group of regular players he feels he can trust, regardless of what that might mean for other players on the periphery.

“We are in a process where we are trying to understand and to learn why, for instance, at Leeds we were not good enough,” he said. “I don’t know if the solution is to have 12 or 14 players and the rest just play some minutes. But we are trying to understand.

“If today you play every three days, two days like now with the same 11, I don’t know [if it’s possible].

“I would like to play Reece [James] every game. He is much better. He is already playing two games a week, he needs to aim three games a week. So he is already improving in that. But I also would like Moi not suspended or Wes every game. For sure, we need Reece for the next games.”

If I say to you that Andrey is like Moi, you can understand for yourself that I am a liar

Enzo Maresca

Maresca was quizzed on whether Fofana is close to being able to handle three games a week.

“It’s too early,” he said. “He’s doing well one game per week. Hopefully he can play two games per week. What we don’t want with Wes is another four, five, six months out.”

Cole Palmer made his first appearance since mid-September when he came off the bench for the final 29 minutes at Elland Road.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, Maresca said: “I don’t know about 90 minutes, but he is ready to play from the start.”