Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that he feels “ashamed” for not being able to consistently include Chelsea’s expensive attacking players, worth a combined £135 million, in his lineup.
Since joining Chelsea from Leicester, the Italian manager has had a strong start, guiding Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League with five wins from their first ten games.
Alongside their solid league performance, Maresca has also led Chelsea to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and kept the team unbeaten in their Europa Conference League campaign.
However, despite this success, he faces the challenge of integrating all of Chelsea’s high-profile attacking players, particularly given their crowded offensive lineup.
Joao Felix, who returned to Chelsea on a permanent transfer, has only appeared in five league matches so far.
Christopher Nkunku, another major addition, has only started once in the Premier League.
Ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming Conference League match against Noah, Maresca addressed this issue, explaining, “I feel ashamed for Joao and want to give him more minutes, but maintaining defensive balance is essential, so it’s difficult to play Joao, Cole [Palmer], and Christo [Nkunku] together.
I want all three on the pitch, but balance is key. Joao’s chance will come if he keeps putting in the effort.”
Nkunku was anticipated to play a crucial role this season following his high-profile transfer from RB Leipzig, despite a history of injuries last season.
While he has managed to score eight goals so far, most of his goals have come in cup matches rather than league games.
Maresca elaborated, “Christo performs well each time he plays and was arguably our best player during pre-season.
We initially used him as an attacking midfielder, but we’re now positioning him as a central forward, though he’s naturally more suited to a second striker role.”
Maresca emphasized that he is continuously working to find the right balance to utilize all of Chelsea’s attacking talent, which also includes Mykhailo Mudryk.
He acknowledged that each of these players “deserves more opportunities in the Premier League” but stressed the importance of flexibility, as it’s not always possible for each player to operate in their ideal role.
As Chelsea approaches their match against Noah on Thursday, Maresca hinted that he may rotate the squad to give different players a chance.
Following this fixture, Chelsea faces Arsenal at Stamford Bridge over the weekend, which could further impact his lineup decisions.
