What Marc Guiu told Enzo Maresca in private conversation as potential Chelsea start vs Ajax hinted | OneFootball

Chelsea striker Marc Guiu recently had a positive conversation with head coach Enzo Maresca regarding his limited game time, according to reports.

Prior to the win over Liverpool before the October international break, Guiu had made zero appearances for Chelsea since his return from his loan at Sunderland.

The 19-year-old already played some games for Sunderland before Chelsea decided to end the loan agreement early after Liam Delap picked up a hamstring injury that would keep him sidelined for weeks.

So, Guiu did not play in any game in September, with Tyrique George being picked ahead of him when Joao Pedro was rested on several occasions, so it was understandable if he was frustrated with the situation.

IMAGO / Buzzi

According to The Athletic, the former Barcelona player approached Maresca after training just before the Liverpool game to discuss his lack of minutes on the pitch and what he needed to do to secure some.

The report adds that it was not a heated exchange, but rather a respectful and polite conversation.

Maresca reportedly reassured the young striker that if he continued to work hard in training, he would get his chances, which is consistent with what the head coach said about Guiu in a recent press conference.

Guiu did not have to wait long before the opportunity finally came as he made a 16-minute cameo against Liverpool.

His involvement further increased after the international break, and he was among Chelsea's three half-time substitutes in the win at Nottingham Forest last weekend.

IMAGO / Action Plus

While Guiu has yet to provide a goal or an assist for the club, he made a positive impact in both games.

Even better for the Spain Under-21 striker, he could earn his first start for Chelsea in the Champions League clash with Ajax on Wednesday.

Joao Pedro will have to serve his one-match suspension in this game, after being shown a red card against Benfica, so the most likely starting number nine in this match would be either Guiu or George.

"We have Marc, we have also Tyrique, who has played games as a nine in the past," Maresca said about his striker options in Tuesday's press conference.

"We trust Marc. We trusted him already last year and he was always playing and training with confidence.

"We gave him some Premier League minutes, which shows we trust Marc. Now he’s with us (following his loan recall) and he’s going to play games for us, for sure."