Chelsea will host Barrow in the third round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday at 2:45 a.m. Beijing time. Before the match, Chelsea manager Maresca attended the press conference and answered reporters' questions on the team's injury situation, expectations of the match and the team's recent performance.
Regarding the team's injury situation, Maresca revealed, "Lavia (Marlowe) is available tomorrow, but Romeo (Gusto) will not be able to play tomorrow, and we hope that he will recover and play against Brighton as soon as possible." At the same time, Maresca admitted that the game is an opportunity for some of the players in the squad who have yet to get much playing time to show what they can do: "We will try to give these players more playing time, as we did in the UEFA Europa League, and hopefully this will be an opportunity for them to show their good moments and continue to get more playing opportunities. "
Talking about Chelsea's excellent performance in the EFL Cup last season, Maresca said, "Although we almost won the title last season, it is important that we approach every official game with the same attitude. We will try to prepare and try to win every game." When asked if he wants to win his first trophy since taking charge of Chelsea, Maresca didn't hesitate to reply, "Of course, of course."
Speaking about the current state of the team, Maresca emphasized, "We are focused on what we can control, which is the performance on the pitch. We are improving and moving in the right direction. Even though we have only been in charge for two months, the team is already showing good momentum." He also said that the team is not distracted by external talk but is focused on its own improvement and progress.
On whether he can equal Pep Guardiola's away record, Maresca said, "Winning three away Premier League games in a row is a good achievement, but we can't be satisfied with that. We want to continue our good form and continue to do well in the next games." He also revealed that the next four matches are all home games and the team will try to share the joy of victory with their fans.
Speaking about the threat of Barrow, Maresca said, "Barrow are top of their league, which shows that they are a strong team. We cannot underestimate the threat they pose and must prepare for this game with all our might." Meanwhile, he also recognized the team's performance in terms of progress and said that the team is still some way away from the top teams like Manchester City and Arsenal, but are moving in the right direction.
In addition, Maresca talked about the performance and opportunities of young players such as Dewsbury Hall. He said that he is very happy with the performance of Dewsbury Hall and believes that he will get more playing time in the coming games. He also revealed some clues about the team's starting lineup, including that players like Chilwell and Chukwuemeka are likely to get a start in tomorrow's game.
Finally, speaking about how to manage match loads and player rest, Maresca said, "We can't prioritize a particular match, but we need to play one match at a time and see how far we can go. In terms of protecting the players, we make decisions based on the importance of the game and the physical condition of the players." He also emphasized the importance of having a deeper squad for the team and said that he will take full advantage of it for the upcoming matches.
