Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s Italian manager, recently expressed his frustration and a sense of “shame” over his struggle to consistently field the club’s top attacking players, who collectively represent a £135 million investment. Maresca, who joined Chelsea from Leicester City, has enjoyed a promising start at Stamford Bridge, steering Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League with five wins from their opening ten matches.
Alongside their solid league performance, Maresca has also guided Chelsea to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and maintained an undefeated streak in the Europa Conference League. Despite these successes, the coach is facing a challenging task in managing his array of attacking talent effectively. He acknowledged the difficulty of balancing the team’s tactical needs with the desire to give his high-profile forwards more time on the field.
Joao Felix, who re-signed with Chelsea permanently, has had limited opportunities, making only five appearances in the league. Similarly, Christopher Nkunku, who arrived with high expectations after a significant transfer from RB Leipzig, has started just once in league play. Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming Europa Conference League match against Noah, Maresca revealed his mixed emotions about the situation. “I feel a shame for Joao and would love to give him more minutes, but we need defensive balance and can’t play Joao, Cole [Palmer], and Christo [Nkunku] all together,” he remarked. Maresca acknowledged his desire to see all three on the pitch simultaneously but emphasized that maintaining team balance is essential. He reassured that Joao Felix’s chance would come if he remained committed to working hard.
Nkunku, who was expected to be a major figure this season, has impressed in cup games, where he has scored eight goals so far, but he has yet to replicate this form consistently in the league. Although injuries limited his playing time last season, Maresca remains optimistic about Nkunku’s contributions. Maresca commented on Nkunku’s versatility, pointing out that while the player excelled as an attacking midfielder during pre-season, he is currently being deployed as a central striker, a role he may be less naturally suited to compared to playing as a secondary forward.
Maresca also mentioned his ongoing effort to find the right balance to integrate all his talented forwards, including Mykhailo Mudryk, into the Premier League lineup. Each player, he noted, “deserves more chances” in league matches. He highlighted the need for tactical adaptability, stating that not every player could always occupy their preferred position within the team’s structure.
As Chelsea prepares to face Noah in the Europa Conference League, Maresca hinted that adjustments might be made to the lineup, potentially providing some of his star forwards with additional playing time. However, with an important Premier League match against Arsenal scheduled for the weekend, Maresca must balance his ambitions in European competition with the need to maintain Chelsea’s strong league position.
