Maresca Reveals His Top Priority for Team Selection Amid Injury and Illness Concerns

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has a tough task ahead of him as his team deals with a fresh illness outbreak ahead of their important Conference League match against Copenhagen. Key players like Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, and Cole Palmer have all fallen sick, increasing the number of the club’s existing injury problems.

With two massive games this week—a knockout match against Copenhagen and a Premier League match with Arsenal—Maresca must decide how to manage his squad carefully. However, he has made it clear that his main focus is on Copenhagen first.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Maresca emphasized that Chelsea’s attention is on their next game. When asked about balancing the Conference League and the Premier League, he responded:

“The priority is tomorrow. For us, the priority is tomorrow because it is the next game and the most important one. After tomorrow, we will start to think about Arsenal.”

This means that Chelsea will go all out against Copenhagen, putting aside concerns about the upcoming league match with Arsenal for now.

Chelsea’s squad is already stretched thin, and the latest setbacks have made things even tougher. With James, Palmer, and Nkunku all unwell, Maresca has fewer attacking options to choose from for the Copenhagen game. Pedro Neto has done well filling in, but Chelsea clearly misses Nicolas Jackson’s speed and Noni Madueke’s goal threat.

Despite the current issues, Maresca shared some positive updates. Both Jackson and Madueke are expected to return after the international break, providing a big boost for Chelsea’s attack.

“[Jackson] could be back, probably after the international break. Him and Noni also. This is good news,” Maresca confirmed.

With two tough games coming up, Chelsea must dig deep and push through. Once the international fixtures are over, Maresca hopes to have a stronger squad ready for the final stretch of the season.