On the eve of the match against Bournemouth in the 4th round of the Premier League, Chelsea manager Maresca attended a press conference and answered reporters' questions on the team's lineup, players' status and the club's current situation.
Regarding the position of Enzo Fernandez, Maresca said, "In our tactical system, it's hard to find players who can attack like an attacking midfielder and defend like a defensive midfielder. Enzo is the only player who can play like an attacking midfielder when he has the ball and drop in beside Moises when he doesn't have the ball to help us keep the defensive balance. We're trying to find that balance and at the moment Enzo is working really well with us, so we'll continue to do that."
Regarding the future of youngster Kani Chukwuemeka, Maresca confessed, "I like Kani very much, but the problem he faces is that there is a lot of competition for the attacking midfielder position in the team and he still needs to prove that his health can sustain him for a season. Therefore, I encourage him to work out for another team to play more games before considering a return."
Speaking about the use of Sancho, Maresca said that his starting position will be decided based on training and the needs of the game: "Sancho is a player who is very good in the attacking third, with great one-on-one ability, and we need to find the right moment for him and give him a chance."
Regarding the injuries, Maresca revealed that Romeo Lavia is close to being back and is expected to return in the next game, while Reece James needs more time to recover.
Facing the issue of club ownership, Maresca emphasized that his focus is entirely on the game: "I will try to be honest and focus on what I can control, which is to lead the team to play well. As for the issue of club ownership, I can't control it and I don't want to focus on it too much."
Regarding the squad at the end of the transfer window, Maresca expressed his satisfaction, "We have a lot of versatile players who can play in several positions, which is exactly what I like. All the targets we were looking at have arrived and we have our own considerations for the players who failed to join."
Finally, Maresca also spoke about Ben Chilwell and Maro Gusto, as well as the team's improvement work in defending set-pieces. He emphasized that the players are professional enough to meet the challenges, while his main task is to lead the team to continuous improvement.
