Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insists there’s no panic despite poor form ahead of facing Benfica.
He blames red cards for recent setbacks and sees Tuesday’s Champions League clash as vital.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says there is “no reason to panic” about his team’s recent poor form, blaming a string of red cards for the club’s setbacks as they prepare to face Benfica in the UEFA Champions League.
The Blues began the season strongly, winning the Club World Cup in July, but have now lost three of their last four matches across all competitions. Tuesday’s clash with Benfica at Stamford Bridge is seen as a key chance to revive their European campaign.
Maresca said Chelsea must fix their discipline after finishing with 10 players in Premier League defeats to Manchester United and Brighton. They also lost their first Champions League match of the season to Bayern Munich.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Italian coach noted that four of their last five losses involved a red card. He admitted he could have made better tactical changes in the defeats to United and Brighton. “For me personally, there is not any reason that we need to create panic,” Maresca said. “Football is a crazy world. I don’t think we need to defend ourselves at this moment because the reality is that I have a very good feeling with the squad we have.”
Maresca also described it as an “absolute honor” to take on Jose Mourinho, who was appointed Benfica’s new coach earlier this month. Mourinho, 62, won three Premier League titles and several cups during two spells at Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro will be assessed after picking up injuries in the loss to Brighton.
