Enzo Maresca has conducted his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

The Blues, with just two wins from their last nine Premier League matches, go to Villa Park in dire need of three points as they bid to qualify for next season's Champions League. Maresca clarified in the press conference that the aim for the west Londoners is to do just that, in a passionate message, and he addressed plenty of other topics in what was a busy morning for the Italian. Here is the full transcript:

Any team news? How is Noni Madueke?

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"Fortunately, we don't have any additional injuries. Noni will probably be out until the international break. The rest: Nico out, Wes out, Benoit out, Romeo out, Marc Guiu out."

Four Premier League games for Noni?

"Probably after the international break we can have most of the injuries back, hopefully all of them. For us, this can be a big boost."

Chelsea have a decent record at Villa Park. What are you expecting?

"They are, since the new project with [Unai] Emery, doing fantastic. This season, you can see, even in the Champions League they finished in the first eight which is an unbelievable achievement for them. And they are fighting to finish top four also this season. The team is very good; they know clearly the way they want to play on and off the ball and the manager is probably one of the best managers."

What are your hopes for Chelsea between now and the end of the season?

"I think we spent almost the whole season in the top four. Now we have just 13 games to go, so for sure now, the target for us now is to try and finish in the top four - to finish in the best way. We are going to try to do our best to achieve that, knowing that the difficult moment we have now is probably one of the reasons why, and the most important reason why, is because of the injury situation; we have five or six players, significant players, that are out.

"I was watching two days ago the first game against Villa and unfortunately, we have five players in that game that are out. Wes, Noni, Nico, Romeo - so the team changed completely and it's something this season happens almost with many clubs. Arsenal have injuries, City have injuries and we are going to try our best to win games even with the amount of injuries we have."

Do you believe you can finish in the top four?

"I've always been clear since day one: I'm not here to - and I've said this already a few times - I'm not here to survive, I'm here to win games, I'm here to bring this club to fight for titles. I've said this already many times but the problem is, when you win games, you look humble and when you don't win games, you look like you lack ambition.

"Since day one, I joined this club and my intention was to win games, win titles and to bring this club where this club deserves to be. I've said this since day one. If you review all of my press conferences, I always say the same. The problem is when you win, you look humble and when you don't win, you look like you lack ambition.

"I'm ambitious, the club is ambitious. We have the same manager, same players, same owners and same sporting directors from two months ago when we were second in the league. Nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is we are dealing with many injuries and this has affected a little bit the level of the team."

Jonathan Goldstein has backed you this week. What are your thoughts on that?

"It's nice. I really appreciate, to be honest, the relationship with the club since we started. In a better moment in terms of results and in a worse moment in terms of results, which is now, they always support me. The sporting directors, the owners, all of the club, to be honest."

Robert Sanchez has a similar hairstyle to you now. Is that a sign of his determination?

"I don't know, to be honest. I said to him: 'If you want to play again, you have to have the same haircut as mine' [laughs]. I don't know, I don't know, it's his choice and a question for him."

There have been a few moments against City and Brighton where there has been a lack of pressure on the ball but the line still remained high. Was that an in-game plan?

"Against City, it was not a game plan at all. Against Brighton, it was probably the dynamic of the game because we spent almost the whole game on the opposite side. Unfortunately we didn't create many, many chances. But when you play there, the defensive line is higher because you are playing on the opposite side and sometimes you can concede in behind."

Has the lack of physicality been a problem?

"Absolutely, it is an important part. Like I said, when reviewing the first game played against them, with more physical players like Wes, Romeo and even Nico - who we said many times off the ball is working very hard - and this is the reason why in this moment, we are struggling a little bit in terms of results. For us, it is a big boost because after the international break we probably have all of them. But before the international break, we have games to play, games to win and we are going to try and win all of the games."

Is Tyrique George ready to play Premier League games and start?

"For sure, he is a young one so he is probably not ready 100% but because of the amount of injuries we have. Ty is a young profile, he is doing well and because in some moments we do not have different options, we need to give him chances and hopefully we can give him more chances and he can help us."

What has the mood been like this week?

"The team spirit, for sure in this moment, has to be upset in terms of they have to be upset. We are upset because we are not happy with the results in this moment, but we are all aware that we are in a club where we are not here to survive, but here to help this club win games, fight for titles.

"The team spirit, I've tried to convince the players that they are the same players that for 19-20 games were top four, second, second, second for the most part of the season. Now it is a bad run and we need to feel that, embrace that and then for sure, after this moment, they will be better players and better professionals."

What are your thoughts on a potential fan protest before the Southampton game?

"The only thing I can say is that every time the fans have been behind us, we really appreciate it because we are sure with the fans behind, we can achieve soon our target. We have 13 games left to go with seven of them at home and I think winning the seven at home can be enough to finish top four. It's a motivation for them, a motivation for us.

"It's something in the changing room we've mentioned many times, especially after the game that we play at home, we've mentioned many times that when you can feel the fans pushing behind, it is a nice feeling. Also, the last two Premier League games at home against Wolves and West Ham, we won, and especially the West Ham one, going one behind, with them behind we were able to win the games. So we appreciate the fans behind us."

What have you made of Malo Gusto's form?

"I'm very happy with Malo, to be honest. I think he is doing well with us. In this moment, to judge players, it is probably as a consequence of the results also. Malo helped us a lot when we were in a good run. I think at some point of the season, we won seven, eight or nine games in a row and he was a fantastic part of that. In this moment, we can probably only judge Malo as a consequence of the results but Malo is a main player, an important player and he is doing well."

Any update on Mykhailo Mudryk?

"No. No, I don't think so."