Maresca Defends Rotation After Rooney Criticism

Chelsea head Enzo Maresca has defended his rotation argumentation aft disapproval from erstwhile England skipper Wayne Rooney.

Rooney said elder players should "question" Maresca's squad selections aft he made 7 changes for nan 2-2 tie against Qarabag successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday.

It was nan 5th consecutive lucifer that Maresca has made astatine slightest 7 changes to his starting XI.

But he said nan spot of his squad allows him to rotate and support everyone fresh successful a "marathon" of a season, that started pinch winning nan Club World Cup successful nan summer.

"We are successful an era wherever anyone tin opportunity what they want," he said of Rooney's remarks.

"Since I joined nan club, it's my position to rotate players. No-one complains erstwhile you win. When you don't triumph I tin understand no-one is agreeing.

"I loved rotation arsenic a player. Football is simply a spot different compared to years agone successful position of physicality and intensity. It's intolerable to play pinch nan aforesaid players 65 games successful 1 season.

"If you want to spot nan play for illustration a marathon, erstwhile you are successful February and March, nan past sprint, you person to deliberation successful a different way. But it's a agelong race."

Maresca defended his determination to play Jorrel Hato successful Baku, aft nan teenage defender was astatine responsibility for some Qarabag goals.

"When nan rotation is Andrey Santos, a Brazil international, and Jorrel Hato, Netherlands international, and Estevao, Brazil international, past it's not astir rotation," he said.

"They are talented, they are young. When they are young you person to springiness them chance to make mistakes.

"But erstwhile you don't triumph games, nan problem is rotation."