Enzo Maresca snapped on the sidelines in Chelsea's previous match | Image Credits: IMAGO/NurPhoto
After playing two back-to-back away games, Chelsea prepare for a third consecutive away fixture as they travel to Manchester United on Saturday for a late kick-off. The Blues currently have 8 points from 4 matches and are one of the three teams still unbeaten in the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca would be hoping for a turnaround in his side’s fortunes after opening the UEFA Champions League campaign with a disappointing result against Bayern Munich.
Talking about the same, the Chelsea manager said, “I think the Wednesday game was a normal Champions League game. It’s Bayern Munich away, we knew that it’s a tough game, and we tried our best. I think, for a part of the game, we were very good, and for sure, there are things we can do better. We don't like to lose games but my feeling at the end of the game was a good feeling in terms of how we're going to play our part in this competition.”
When the question about the futures of Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling arose, Maresca remarked that the club, along with the player, are trying their best to find a suitable solution for both parties.
He said, “I have been in Raheem’s situation and Axel’s situation as a player. For sure, I know it’s not the best feeling for a player because as a player, you want to play the game. The situation is in this moment, and I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way, and this is the only thing I can say.”
He continued, “It's not just Chelsea (where this happens), it's any club in the world. I can promise you, in Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil, any club in the world. When for any reason, the player and the club don't find a solution, you give the player all the tools to do the training session and to do everything. But if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad.”
Giving an example from his father’s life, Maresca tried to stress upon the privileges of a footballer in the modern game. He continued, “My father is 75 years old and for 50 years, he has been a fisherman, working from 2 to 10 in the morning. That is hard in life, not how a player works.”
Ruben Amorim has the worst win percentage for a Manchester United manager since the Second World War, and many pundits have been asking questions about his suitability and flexibility to adapt to the Premier League, but Maresca backed the Portuguese head coach for the job.
The Italian said, “The only thing I can say is that I really appreciate Ruben, and I have been watching Ruben’s games since Sporting. He is a magnificent manager. Like all managers, when you start on a new project, sometimes you can struggle a little bit more or a little bit less, but at the end, you have to struggle. I don’t have any doubt that he is a fantastic manager.”
The Blues have failed to conquer Old Trafford in the last 12 years, as Chelsea hasn’t defeated Manchester United in their own backyard since 2013. When asked if this is the perfect opportunity for them to do so, Maresca quipped, “I think it’s always difficult to play United away in their own stadium, Old Trafford. So, I don’t think now is the right moment, or last year was the right moment; it’s always difficult. Some of their games that I have watched this season, it’s not the real result, even the City game, when it was 0-0, they had a few opportunities to score and take a lead. No doubt, it will be a tough game.”
When asked about the players’ availabilities for the weekend, Maresca said, “Cole is okay now. We have a session planned; we flew back yesterday, so we need to assess some of the players. There are some doubts, but we haven’t done any sessions after Wednesday’s game. They had an entire week to prepare for the game, and we played a game only 48 hours ago.”
The 2-2 draw at Brentford last weekend was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the mid-week fixture, and Maresca would be keen to avoid a winless streak of three matches pretty early in the season.
Talking about the same, Maresca said, “I have pressure on all the game and I want to try to win all the game, but it's not because we drew Brentford and we lost Bayern Munich away. In this game, I feel more pressure because we want to win all the games. Again, I think, Bayern Munich away, PSG away, and Barcelona away are probably the worst stadiums to go and play the first game in the Champions League.”
Talking about the players that Chelsea are trying to build into their squad, Maresca spoke about Marc Guiu and Estevao. He quipped, “Marc is back. The reason why he's back is that there is an intention to use him. But, he needs to improve things and for sure we're going to we're going to use him.”
He continued, “Estevao can be great in all the attacking positions because his talent is very good. He’s a top player, but at the same time, he is 17-18 years old, so he needs a little bit of time. I think he can play wide and can play as a 10, and I feel very lucky to have both of them (Estevao and Palmer).”
Alejandro Garnacho might return to Old Trafford sooner than expected this weekend, and the Argentine winger has shown glimpses of why Chelsea shelled 40 million pounds to land his signature. Maresca spoke about the same, “In the last two games, he came in very good in the second half against Brentford and the other day against Bayern Munich. So, we are happy in the way he's adapting to our style, what we want from the winger. I think he’s ready to start tomorrow.”
Talking about the potential reception Garnacho might get on his return to Manchester, the Chelsea manager said, “It’s always difficult. The other day against Bayern Munich, every time Cucurella touched the ball, the noise wasn’t the best one, but you have to learn to handle these kinds of things.”
Along with Garnacho facing his former team, we might see Mason Mount back in the matchday squad to face his former team, Chelsea, along with Matheus Cunha, who also missed the Manchester Derby at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
