Enzo Maresca reveals concerning truth about Chelsea's key players

Coach Enzo Maresca acknowledged that many of Chelsea’s main players are playing in less than full fitness after the late 1-2 defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, with Joao Pedro among them.

The match ended with a goal in the 90+3 minute by Chemsdine Talbi, elevating Sunderland to second place in the Premier League standings and extending Chelsea’s inconsistent form streak.

After an impressive performance against Ajax in the Champions League just three days earlier, “The Blues” appeared fatigued and lacking creativity upon returning to domestic competition. Joao Pedro, recently reinstated in the starting lineup, struggled to be effective and has not scored since August.

When questioned about the disappointing form of the Brazilian forward, Maresca revealed that the player is dealing with a groin issue and is unable to train fully. Maresca stated in the post-match press conference:

“Joao cannot train daily because he is still managing an injury on his own. Mo (Caicedo) is in the same situation and Enzo (Fernandez) is exactly the same. We have 4 or 5 players facing fitness issues, they cannot train regularly but still try to play.”

According to the Italian coach, both Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, key central midfielders, have to “grit their teeth” to play despite not being at full fitness, which partly explains why Chelsea’s midfield was dominated by Sunderland for most of the match.

Maresca also defended his players after their poor performance: “Joao had played better in some previous matches but today the whole team struggled. It’s not just him.”

With this defeat, Chelsea have lost 8 points from leading positions at home since the start of the season, a worrying figure for the club’s ambition to return to the top ranks. Nevertheless, Maresca called for calm and patience:

He shared: “They told me this morning that before the match, we had the same number of points as last season after 8 rounds. The season is still very long, it’s only October. We need to keep improving and wait to see where we stand in March, April, or May before making any judgments.”

This loss marks Chelsea’s first defeat after a 4-match unbeaten run but also highlights the challenge Enzo Maresca faces in maintaining performance for a young, thin squad affected by numerous injuries.