The manager of Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, has revealed that he doesn’t have a permanent starting eleven as he selects his first XI based on the performance of the players during training.
Since taking charge at Stamford Bridge, Enzo Maresca has overseen two competitive fixtures. The first was a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.
However, just four days later, Chelsea managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Servette in a UEFA Conference League play-off. In the two aforementioned games, Maresca selected different starting elevens.
Ahead of their upcoming league fixture against Wolves which will kick off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, Maresca emphasized that he evaluates the first XI based on the players’ daily efforts and intensity during training sessions.
He emphasized that poor performance and lack of intensity during training will have a direct impact on the players’ match time, both in the Premier League and in European competitions.
“I judge the first XI depending on how they work every day”, the former Leicester City manager said.
“If they are bad in a training session and they don’t train with intensity, they are not going to play.
“If they don’t train well from Sunday to Thursday — they are not going to play [either] in the Premier League and they are not going to play on Thursday [against Servette].”
Meanwhile, former Arsenal player Martin Keown has urged the Gunners not to sign Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling this summer.
Coach Enzo Maresca left out Sterling from Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Manchester City and was subsequently excluded from the club’s first-team training.
It is widely anticipated that Sterling will depart Stamford Bridge before the close of the summer transfer window, as he is currently deemed surplus to requirements.
When asked on TalkSport about the possibility of the former Manchester City winger joining Arsenal, Keown replied: “No, I don’t think I would [take him].
“I do rate this guy as a very good player. But I think, when he played for Man City, he did his best work off the ball.
“When you look what Pep [Guardiola ] did, it was all off-the-ball movement. When he has the ball, he does too much and he doesn’t get past his man.”
