Enzo Maresca Must Decide To Stick Or Twist On Chelsea’s Epic Qarabag Trek

European distant days were not truthful taxing for Chelsea past season. They were too bully for nan Conference League and were capable to triumph it moreover though Enzo Maresca often utilized those Thursday assignments to play his reserves and support his champion players caller for nan Premier League.

This time, though, nan beingness demands are tougher. Competing successful nan Champions League has been much sapping and Maresca has to activity retired really to onslaught nan correct equilibrium erstwhile his squad look Qarabag astatine nan Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium connected Wednesday evening, successful their 4th crippled of nan convention phase.

There is nary mistaking nan 5,000-mile information travel to Azerbaijan for a free hit. Chelsea followed up defeat astatine Bayern Munich successful their opening crippled by signaling wins against Benfica and Ajax, but location is activity to do if they are to decorativeness successful nan apical 8 and debar nan playoff round. Qarabag, who person besides taken six points from their 3 games, are not to beryllium taken lightly. They person made immense strides nether Gurban Gurbanov, who has been successful his station for 17 years, and are unrecognisable from nan squad that mislaid 6-0 and 4-0 against Chelsea successful nan Champions League’s group shape successful 2017.

Qarabag person beaten Benfica and FC Copenhagen this play and took an early lead against Athletic Bilbao earlier losing 3-1 successful their astir caller tie. “They are a very bully team,” Maresca said earlier a five-and-a-half-hour formation to Baku connected Tuesday afternoon. “They are a very aggravated team. The measurement they press, nan measurement they activity together arsenic a team, you tin spot that it’s many, galore years pinch nan aforesaid manager.”

The mobility for Maresca is really beardown to spell fixed that Chelsea’s heavy squad is not successful highest condition. Pedro Neto is nan latest to succumb to injury. Maresca hopes nan Portugal winger will make a swift return but it is different denotation that Chelsea are emotion nan consequences of last summer’s Club World Cup.

The curen room has been busy. Levi Colwill is simply a semipermanent absentee and Benoît Badiashile is out. There was immoderate positivity regarding Cole Palmer, who has been nursing a groin wounded since 21 September, but Maresca would not perpetrate to nan playmaker returning successful clip for location games against Barcelona and Arsenal this month.

Others are managing workloads. Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández person mostly played connected successful midfield contempt not being capable to train astatine afloat speed. João Pedro has battled connected successful onslaught while Palmer and Liam Delap person been out.

Liam Delap (centre) could commencement for Chelsea successful Baku aft returning from wounded and suspension. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters

Delap, who missed past Saturday’s triumph against Tottenham aft picking up a brainless reddish paper against Wolves successful nan Carabao Cup, is disposable again. Maresca suggested that nan striker could commencement successful Baku. Other changes are besides likely. “We request to rotate,” said Maresca, who will not person a batch of clip to hole for a sojourn from Wolves connected Saturday night. “We travel backmost to London first point successful nan morning. It’s a demanding schedule, but we’re going to effort to adapt.”

Baku is 4 hours up but Chelsea scheme to stay connected British time. Maresca will dream his squad players tin get nan occupation done. The unconvincing Filip Jörgensen could commencement successful goal. There whitethorn beryllium opportunities for Jamie Gittens and Estêvão connected nan flanks; Andrey Santos and Roméo Lavia are disposable if Caicedo and Fernández are rested.

There are limits to Caicedo’s bonzer power levels. It is little than perfect that Dário Essugo, nan subordinate signed to capable successful for nan Ecuador midfielder, is retired until nan caller year. However, Maresca likes Santos successful nan aforesaid position and is pleased that Lavia is backmost from his latest injury. Chelsea are smoother erstwhile Lavia plays but nan 21-year-old has had immoderate increasing pains. They person to beryllium observant pinch him; it was a akin process pinch Reece James, who is yet backmost successful a spot wherever he tin play 3 times a week.

“The main target for Roméo now is to beryllium fit,” Maresca said. “Roméo is wherever Reece was much aliases little 1 twelvemonth ago. We request to negociate him each minute, each day, each second. We request to beryllium very observant pinch him because we don’t want him to beryllium retired again. I would for illustration to person Roméo connected nan transportation ever but it’s my work to protect him.”

Still, it would beryllium a prize if Caicedo and Fernández get nan nighttime off. It is simply a long, difficult season. Chelsea person truthful overmuch talent but nan reserves sometimes fto themselves down. They tore Wolves to shreds for 45 minutes past week, past mislaid attraction successful nan 2nd half and forced Maresca to present Marc Cucurella, Fernández and Caicedo. The aforesaid correction cannot beryllium made against Qarabag.