Every word Enzo Maresca said on Chelsea injuries, Carabao Cup importance, Mykhailo Mudryk chance
Enzo Maresca spoke to the press ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup third round tie with Barrow on Tuesday night.
The Blues head coach, 48 hours after his side's win against West Ham United in the Premier League, previewed his team's cup tie with his players in strong form. You can read every word Maresca had to say down below...
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"Malo is available for tomorrow. Romeo is not available for tomorrow, hopefully he can be available for the Brighton game."
This is the chance for you to use some players that haven't had the minutes so far...
"Yeah, it could be the chance also to give them some minutes; in the same way we have done in the Conference League, we try to share minutes with them. Hopefully it can be a good chance for them to hopefully show some good moments themselves, to continue to get minutes."
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Chelsea came close to winning this competition last season. It would be a good chance for you to get a trophy early on...
"It is important but not because we think we are going to win this competition. It is important because it is an official game. It is a different competition but it's an official game so we are going to try in the way we always try to prepare the game in the best way and try to win.
"We are going to try and win all the games but the main focus has to be that it's an official game and we are going to try and do our best to win the game."
Would you like to win the first trophy available to you?
"For sure, for sure."
All the talk is about what's happening on the pitch. You must be happy with that?
"We try to be focused on the things we can do better, the things we can control. The pitch side is where we can be focused. I said many times, the only thing we need to pay attention to is how we can improve and I think we are progressing, we are in the right direction but we just started two months ago. It's a good feeling."
You've been proven right by your side not being distracted...
"Absolutely. These are the things we work on every day and we can control a little bit. That has to be the main focus for us."
Great to match Pep Guardiola's away record (winning first three away games)?
"Yeah, it's good to win games. We won three games in a row away, hopefully we can continue. Hopefully we can share some good moments at home with our fans. That is also important. Hopefully we give them three points, starting with tomorrow and then hopefully the next game at home."
The next four games are at home... Can you share some nice post-match moments with your fans alas the Bournemouth and West Ham wins?
"Exactly, to share that moment with our fans. It's always nice to share that moment with our fans. It's even better when you can share that moment at home with all of the stadium."
Do you get a sense through social media that the fans are beginning to believe things are moving in the right direction?
"At the end, the results always go one way or the other way. In this moment, for us, it's always important the results, for sure. But it's always important the other part as well; to see how the team is progressing and improving.
"In terms of social network, I am quite lucky because I don't have any social network. I know that people most of the time, I think they write things depending on if we win or we don't win. They probably don't have the time to focus on the performance and if it is good or not. They just judge us on the results but overall, I think we also need to analyse the way the team is progressing."
Barrow, top of their league, is there a danger you can underestimate them?
"It's dangerous also because football is full of these kind of games. You think it will be an easy game and then it's a tricky game.
"In this moment, it is probably the worst game for us. It would be better another type of game. We cannot allow ourselves to drop a little bit."
Are you ahead of schedule?
"I said that we are ahead of where we expected to be today. Not in terms of results but in terms of the way the team are progressing and the way the team are playing. In terms of results, I still think that we are far from this kind of teams, like City and Arsenal because we need to learn many, many things and we need to improve many things; attacking better, defending better.
"The important thing is the feeling in this moment, that we are going in the right direction. This is very important."
Has Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got a chance of starting tomorrow?
"Yes. Probably, yes."
Is he starting?
"We have a session this afternoon and I also like to tell the players before."
How has it gone for him so far?
"I'm very happy with Kiernan. If we simply judge a team, or player because of the way they play or they win, but we also need to understand that Kiernan was the main player at Leicester. He has arrived here and he is not the main player. He is one of the players.
"For him, for any player in the world, you need to adapt because you were the main player here and now one of the players. That period requires time that you understand and adapt.
"I'm completely happy with Kiernan, the way he is doing. For sure, when you go inside the final 10 minutes, five minutes; it's not easy for Kiernan or the rest of the players so you need to understand a little bit that situation from the other one when you were the main player. It is just a matter to adapt a little bit but I don't have any doubts for Kiernan."
Will the fixture schedule help Kiernan?
"Absolutely. Like him and all the players that are not starting in the Premier League but they are going to start in the Conference [League] or the Carabao [Cup] and other competitions."
How do you view the Carabao Cup in relation to the others and how will you manage that load?
"Probably because of the last two years, we cannot allow ourselves to prioritise. We need to go game by game and to see where we arrive and then fight for that. I don't see, in this moment, any competition better than the other one.
"For sure, the main one is the Premier League always. It is the competition you try to do your best always. But in terms of 'this is the most important, this is not important', that's not for us. We need to take every game in the same way and then we see in the end if we are close to something and then go for it."
I only ask because Ancelotti said he may rest players as the season goes on... Do you have any ideas like that?
"The only thing I mentioned is the reason why we left out of the Conference League squad is because we try to protect the players. More or less, it's the same idea. In this moment, I am not thinking to leave players out of another competition."
Is having a bigger squad helpful? Will you give a chance to Chilwell, Chukwuemeka, George or Acheampong in this game?
"The ones you just mentioned are going to be in the squad for tomorrow. Some of them, we will see if they start from the beginning. But if not, they are all going to be on the bench and hopefully we can give them some moments."
Is Mudryk the third choice left winger?
"The main idea is Pedro [Neto] and Noni [Madueke] on the right side and Jadon [Sancho] and Misha [Mudryk] on the left side. Then also the game requires a little bit who in that moment is the correct one.
"For instance, against West Ham because Wan-Bissaka attacked a lot and Jadon was doing the first-half and the beginning of the second-half and then he was tired. We changed it a little bit but we continued to keep the same idea; our winger to be in charge a little bit of Wan-Bissaka. Pedro can do that very good, also Misha, but in that moment I decided for Pedro."
How important is this sort of competition for Mudryk?
"It's important for him but it's important for the rest of the players. They are players that train every day very good. Unfortunately I cannot give them chances.
"Benoit [Badiashile] is working very well but he is not getting minutes in the Premier League. It's not because he's doing bad but sometimes you have to take some decisions.
"Misha, like Benoit and like all the other players that are not getting too many chances, tomorrow it is a good chance for them to get minutes and to hopefully win the game."