Enzo Maresca has previewed Chelsea's Premier League clash with Ipswich Town on Monday as the Blues look to return to winning ways at Portman Road.

The west Londoners suffered just their third defeat of the Premier League season on Boxing Day as the hosts let a one-goal lead slip to Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer handed Chelsea the lead in the first-half of the west London derby but late goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz ensured it was the Cottagers that left with all three points.

Maresca faced the media after the game, where he spoke about Chelsea's upcoming match against Ipswich. Below, you can read every word the Italian had to say on a variety of topics...

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Kieran McKenna was linked with this job before you got it. How highly do you rate him?

"He is doing fantastic since he joined Ipswich. They are doing top. Even this year, they are doing well so congratulations to him for the way he is doing everything since he joined the club."

What sort of challenge is this for your side?

"I think all the Premier League games are complicated; no matter the other team. You see every game we play, it is always complicated. You see the other team, you struggle to beat teams and I think the Ipswich game will be exactly the same."

How important is it for you to end the year on a high?

"Very important. We are going to try to prepare the game in the way we try always - to win the game. We have a bad feeling about the game we just lost against Fulham and hopefully we can come back with three points after this game."

On Noni Madueke, was it something to do with training or his performance against Everton? Can you give us an idea [of why he wasn't in the squad vs Fulham]?

"No, it's just a technical decision. Sometimes we take a decision and it's no more than that."

Will he be in contention for the squad against Ipswich?

"Yeah, for sure, for sure."

How do you pick apart the defeat?

"For sure, after a game, you need to go again no matter the result. Especially this month; I think in December, we already played eight or nine games in 25 or 27 days. So now it is also important to recover the energy and go again on Monday and then if we are going to make one change, two changes or three changes, we will see. Now it is a bit early but for sure, we are going to change something."

You dropped Madueke earlier this season because his level dropped in training. Was it to do with something like that again? Do you have to keep the level high, the competition high?

"For sure, the competition has to be high but not only Noni Madueke was out, Renato Veiga was also not in the squad, and the reason is exactly the same for both of them. There is not any different reason."

Was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a technical decision or is he injured?

"No, Kiernan is injured."

When you have these setbacks, how important is it to keep the season going with a quick response from the squad?

"Yeah, absolutely. We never thought we were going to win every game. We lost a game on August 18 and then [another] two months and now [another] two months. But we know the reality is not to lose one game every two months, so now it is a matter of how we react and try to go again."

You worked with Liam Delap at Man City. What makes him special and what potential does he have?

"Liam is a fantastic player. Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals. This is a very good striker - as I've said many times, England are quite lucky because they have very good players, very good strikers, and it is working hard off the ball, on the ball he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England."

You've spoken about Noni's training level and maturity in the past. When you've decided to go public with it, how has he responded?

"Fantastic. Very good. He responded very good at that time, so there is no more than that."

And you're expecting the same this time?

"Yeah, absolutely."