Enzo Maresca believes Chelsea will likely be “a greater staff” after their Europa Convention League quarter-final conflict with Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
Maresca’s facet boast a 100% report within the competitors this season and will likely be agency favourites for the win within the Polish capital.
The Blues will likely be hoping to take the following step in direction of a primary trophy beneath the Italian. Nonetheless, the London membership are balancing their European ambitions with a push to safe Champions League soccer subsequent time period by securing a top-five spot within the Premier League.
And the latter, insists Maresca, stays the precedence.
“The principle goal turns into to complete prime 4, prime 5 and play subsequent season’s Champions League,” Maresca stated.
“However particularly as a result of this membership, and the followers, and the establishment, Chelsea as a membership, has to play that competitors.
“Now we have been there all season, and hopefully we could be there on the finish.”
A visit to Poland for the #UECL quarter-finals. 🔜🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/8HtODKFrnX
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 8, 2025
Whereas Chelsea will likely be anticipated to return from Poland victorious, their supervisor believes the expertise will solely profit his younger squad.
“We can not permit exterior issues to vary the way in which we predict or the change we behave,” stated Maresca.
“As a participant, I performed in 4 or 5 completely different groups the place you possibly can play derby.
“I stated we have to expertise this type of video games, this type of second, that for positive after tomorrow’s recreation we’re going to be a greater staff as a result of we want that.
“We’re very younger however in the identical second we want this type of video games to enhance.”
Maresca, who confirmed defender Wesley Fofana could be out for the remainder of the season after present process hamstring surgical procedure, additionally addressed his considerably controversial determination to relaxation Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson of their Premier League stalemate towards Brentford on Sunday.
“Most likely from exterior, you obtain within the mistaken manner the explanation why Cole and Nico didn’t play. They didn’t play, not as a result of we wish to relaxation them for at present.
“They didn’t play as a result of there was a recreation plan, as a result of Brentford had 24 hours greater than us, as a result of among the gamers have been drained.”
