Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on their faltering title challenge, injuries in the squad and facing Crystal Palace
Cobham, London, UK
Cobham, London, UK
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00:00Right, we will take the usual format today and we'll begin with James Cole,
00:29and Sky Sports News please.
00:31Hi Enzo, how are things looking on the injury front?
00:34Has anyone returned for the game?
00:39Anyway, Rhys is back from already the last game,
00:41Romeo is very close, he started to work with us,
00:46and then for the rest not any update,
00:51Keenan is still out, unfortunately Wes will be out for a very long time,
00:58and Benoit will be out at least until February,
01:06so the only two big update is on Wes Fofana and Benoit,
01:11they're both going to be out for a very long time.
01:14Do they either require surgery?
01:18No at the moment, for sure no Benoit, Wes no at the moment.
01:23Does that affect your thinking in terms of this transfer window?
01:27We'll see, now the focus is on tomorrow's game,
01:30that is an important game, like the rest,
01:36so the focus is just about tomorrow,
01:39but for sure these two players are going to be out for a long time, so we'll see.
01:43And Rhys James, how close is he to getting some minutes again?
01:47He's back, the last game against Ipswich he was with us just to be with us on the squad,
01:55the plan was not to give him any minutes,
01:57tomorrow is different, we can give him minutes,
02:00so hopefully, we all know how important Rhys is for us,
02:05so hopefully he can get minutes very soon.
02:10You said consistently that you're not in the title race,
02:14were you unfortunately proven right over Christmas?
02:17Yeah, but I didn't need to wait to lose a game to understand that,
02:23and I always said the same, that I would like to tell you,
02:26yes we are there because it's something nice,
02:29it's not something bad to be in the title race,
02:32but the reason why I said it is because I don't think we were ready, we are ready,
02:36and as I said I didn't need to wait to lose two games in a row
02:42to prove myself or you that I was right.
02:47What do you put this dip in form down to and how concerned are you by it?
02:51I'm always concerned even when we win games,
02:54but I don't think it's bad form,
02:59I think it's just analysed game by game,
03:02against Fulham we were winning 1-0 until 82-83 minutes,
03:07and then we conceded two goals.
03:09Ipswich probably was not our day in terms of,
03:16I don't know how many chances we created,
03:19but probably their desire not to concede and to win the game was higher than us.
03:26And you are very much in the race for the top four,
03:29how important is it that you don't slip up again this weekend?
03:32Not only this weekend, the next 19 games it's important that we're going to be there,
03:38I said already many times I don't think one of us in this room
03:41expects us to be where we are now at the beginning of the season,
03:44that means that the team is doing very well,
03:47but now we have the second part ahead of us,
03:49we have to continue to do that,
03:52knowing that we're going to be third again,
03:55we're going to be hopefully second again,
03:57but we can also be fifth or sixth in the table,
04:00no panic, it's just a matter of seeing at the end of the season where we are.
04:10Just wondering, those two disappointing results,
04:13how has it affected the mood around here, morale?
04:18No, absolutely we don't like to lose games,
04:21we don't like to drop points,
04:23but it's not going to affect our journey,
04:28because we all know, we are aware that during the season you are going to lose games,
04:39and as I said we finished the first part of the season,
04:42now we're going to start the second part,
04:44thinking that again we are going to win games,
04:46we are going to lose games,
04:48but the important thing is to see how the team is improving,
04:51game by game, and things that we can do better,
04:54and don't forget that this is just a journey that started five, six months ago,
04:58so it's not, I said five years ago, or six years ago,
05:03there are still teams that are together five, six years,
05:07and they are still fighting to win titles,
05:10the Premier League, and we just started five, six months ago.
05:24Yes, but you don't need only good players,
05:27I said many times, for me the talent is not enough today in football,
05:31you need to add more things, things that we are adding,
05:33like togetherness, like becoming a team in a difficult moment,
05:39and the difference between us and, I said, City, Arsenal, Liverpool,
05:45is that in that aspect they are more ready and team than us,
05:51and we're going to be there hopefully soon.
06:02Tough game, like you see even the last game for us was tough,
06:07they are all tough games, especially there, in their stadium,
06:11they are quite clear what they do, since the manager is there,
06:18also off the ball they are very aggressive,
06:20it's a team that if you can see them transition,
06:23they can hurt you, so we need to manage both phases,
06:27when we attack and when we defend.
06:30Before Aaron asks, I mean you're back from Argentina,
06:32what was the reasoning behind that, what were your plans for him?
06:35It's another talent, another good player,
06:38now the most important thing is that he arrives here and he adapts himself,
06:41he starts to find out, settling in the right way,
06:48and then we need to give him time,
06:50because when you come from the other part of the world,
06:52you need to adapt, you need to see a new world, a new culture,
06:56but for sure we are going to try to help him to adapt as soon as possible.
07:02Just finally on Romelu Lavia's absence,
07:04anyone won four games without him last month,
07:07what kind of impact did Romelu Lavia have on his team?
07:12Last month, but probably we won more games without Romelu previously,
07:15Romelu, no matter if we win games or we lose games,
07:19we all consider Romelu a top player,
07:22but the most important thing for this kind of player is to be fit,
07:25so no doubt when Romelu is fit that he is a top player,
07:29we just need to try to understand how we can help him not get injured enough.
07:36Thanks Alex.
07:39With Wesley, do you expect him to be out for the rest of the season
07:42and how big a blow is it given how important he has become for you?
07:45Unfortunately he could be out for the season,
07:47so we don't know exactly if for the entire season,
07:50but unfortunately he could be out for part of the season,
07:53and we are together here since we started,
07:57and every time you ask me about Wes,
07:59I said many times that I'm in love with Wes,
08:02I was in love with Wes,
08:03also because Wes is that kind of defender
08:09that gives you the chance to press and be aggressive
08:13and to leave him 1v1 with Watkins on pitch.
08:18We did exactly the same when Wes was injured with Benoit Badiachil,
08:221v1 with Solanke on pitch,
08:25and they can deal with that,
08:27and it's very difficult to find that kind of defender,
08:30but now unfortunately both are injured,
08:32we are trying to find different solutions,
08:35but for sure for us Wes is a huge loss.
08:38Halfway through the season, from what you've seen so far,
08:42are you confident of finishing in the top four?
08:48We are there for the first part of the season,
08:51we were there almost since we started every game,
08:54we need to improve many things,
08:56but for sure we are going to try to be there at the end of the season.
09:00How important is it for your club and the progression
09:03to play Champions League football next season?
09:07I said already many times, I have to be honest,
09:10when I met the club,
09:11they never asked me to be a championship top for the season,
09:14they said to me that they want to build in 2, 3, 4, 5 years
09:17a team that they can fight for title,
09:22but they never said to me,
09:23next year we need to be in the championship.
09:25Now, for sure, I'm going to tell you that
09:28if we are in the Champions League next season,
09:30we are all happy,
09:31because it's where the club has to be in the future.
09:34Do you have a plan of where you want to be next season?
09:38No, in my plan I'm not thinking about June,
09:44I don't believe about the future,
09:46to be honest,
09:47because I can imagine in September playing in the Champions League,
09:50but if I don't win games,
09:52so I don't believe about the future,
09:56because yes, I can imagine winning a game
10:00and then if we don't win,
10:01or I can imagine losing a game and then if we win,
10:03so for me the future is thick,
10:06but not only football,
10:07it's my idea about everything.
10:09For sure you have a dream or you have a desire,
10:12and if you ask me,
10:13for sure it's to bring this club to the Champions League
10:16or to compete for a title,
10:18like when I was at Leicester in the Championship,
10:20my dream was to bring that club to the Premier League,
10:23because it's a club that belongs to the Premier League,
10:25and for Chelsea it's exactly the same.
10:27My dream is to bring this club,
10:29but then the future is a little bit fake.
10:33Thank you, John. Bradley?
10:34Hi, Enzo, hope you're well.
10:36Nicholas Jackson scored in his fixture earlier this season,
10:38nine goals this season.
10:40How pleased have you been with his performances
10:42and how much more do you think there is to come from him?
10:45He can do many things better,
10:47he's doing already very good.
10:49As you said, he probably scored nine goals
10:51and last year he scored 14,
10:53so he scored almost the goals that he scored last year.
10:56So hopefully he can score more goals,
10:58he can help us,
10:59but we are completely happy with Nicholas,
11:02and the reason why he didn't play the last game against Ipswich
11:04is because we have also more players that can help us.
11:08You touched on transfers earlier,
11:10a couple of your players have been linked with moves away
11:12over the last couple of days,
11:13Ben Chihuahua being one of those.
11:15What can you tell us about his future at the club?
11:19No idea, to be honest.
11:20In terms of his window transfer to January,
11:24there are players that probably they are going to leave,
11:27but I'm not sure at the moment.
11:29So Ben Chihuahua could leave this month then?
11:32Is that what you're happy about?
11:34Cool, yeah.
11:35And another one is Kieran Jeefey Hall,
11:37you mentioned earlier about his injury,
11:39but is he someone that you would like to keep here until the end of the season?
11:43The one that they are here, they are here,
11:45and then we'll see if it's going to happen something.
11:47But the one that they are here is because we are happy to have them here.
11:51That's great, that's excellent, thank you.
11:53We'll do three more.
11:54Rob, Simon and Bobby.
11:57With Romain Laguerre then,
11:59is it too simplistic to think that just taking him out of the team
12:04over the last few weeks has made a difference in his downturn?
12:07Because we have seen it with players at other clubs
12:10where you take one player out
12:12and it completely derails the way it seems.
12:14We saw it with Saliba at Arsenal a couple of seasons ago
12:17and Rodri, arguably, this season.
12:21Is it overly simplistic to think that one player can serve as Robert?
12:26No, I think football, it's all about players.
12:30We can have the best idea, but if you don't have players,
12:33you struggle.
12:35Romain, for us, is a top player.
12:37And for sure, with Romain, we are a better team.
12:40But when Romain is not there,
12:42we need to also manage that kind of game.
12:45I think since we started, we won games without Romain.
12:49We lose a game without Romain.
12:53But for sure, if you ask me,
12:56we are a better team with Romain.
12:59But not only with Romain.
13:00We are a much, much, much, much better team with Rhys James.
13:04So it's all about players.
13:07Again, I can give the players the tools
13:11how they have to behave, for sure, 100%.
13:14But if they are not good enough,
13:16I can give them all the tools that I have.
13:18But if they are not good enough, we are not going to win games.
13:21So it's a little bit both.
13:23Simon.
13:24Sorry to go back to Wesley,
13:27but you initially said this kind of injury
13:30will be picked up after he's been again.
13:32You said it takes two, three, four, five weeks.
13:35What has changed?
13:37No, it was the first update,
13:40the first information we had.
13:42But then making a test,
13:45we realised that it was worse
13:48than what we thought at the beginning.
13:51So it's a really bad hamstring tear?
13:54Yeah, it's hamstring.
13:57And unfortunately,
14:02we are going to lose him for a while.
14:05How concerning is it?
14:06Because this is the third straight season for Wesley
14:09where injury has basically ruined his season.
14:12I don't think this kind of injury can be compared to the rest
14:16because this one is muscle.
14:18And I think that previously he never had any injury problem,
14:23any muscle problem.
14:25So it's a completely different kind of injury.
14:28It's a bit unlucky,
14:31but he will be back,
14:33and he will be back good in the way he was before he was injured.
14:37And just quickly on Anselmina,
14:39is the plan to send him on loan
14:41or is it actually for him to stay around?
14:43No, at the moment the plan is to keep him here,
14:46to allow him to work with us
14:48and then to take a decision.
14:50And we'll finish with Bobby.
14:52Just staying with Anselmina,
14:54do you think there's a chance,
14:55do you believe he's ready to go into the team?
14:59Was the decision influenced by the injuries to Demora and West?
15:03No, if he's here it's because we think that he's a good player
15:06and he can help us.
15:07But for sure, he's very young
15:10and he's coming, as I said, from Argentina,
15:13completely different culture,
15:14different football,
15:16different level.
15:17So he needs time to adapt.
15:20OK, thank you.
15:21Camera's off.