Enzo Maresca has explained why he's dropped Enzo Fernandez for Romeo Lavia in recent weeks.
Fernandez had been a nailed on starter for Maresca's Blues in the early etchings of this season, starting six of the club's first seven Premier League matches.
He was the team's captain on each of those occasions in the absence of the injured Reece James.
The Argentine, however, has been relegated to bench in Chelsea's previous two top flight games against Liverpool and Newcastle, with Maresca instead opting to play Lavia alongside Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park.
Speaking to the press on Friday, the Italian coach shed light on why exactly he's made the swap.
"It's a matter of balance. In this moment, Romeo and Moi give us physicality and strength in the middle," Maresca explained, adding: "When we play with Enzo it has to be with one of Moi or Romeo, and Enzo moves forward we struggle in the middle for physicality."
Maresca said that despite dropping Fernandez, he still trusts in the 23-year-old, and that just because he isn't playing right now, doesn't mean he won't be in the future.
"There is not any reason in the world I can lose confidence in him," Maresca said of Fernandez. "The reason why he is not playing in the Premier League is because at this moment I take a different decision."
"It’s very simple," he added. "He’s not playing in this moment, we have so many games, he’s going to play for sure in the future. And it doesn’t mean Romeo and Moi are always going to play. At the moment one of them drops, probably we will change it."
Maresca on United: "We expect a tough game"
Up next for Chelsea in the league is a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday.
United have endured a difficult start to the season. They currently sit 14th in the table having lost four of their nine top flight matches so far – form which resulted in the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag earlier this week.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ten Hag's former assistant who scored 150 goals for United between 2001 and 2006, will take charge of the Red Devils for the weekend's game against the Blues.
Amid the upheaval, Maresca said that he hopes Chelsea can finally win at Old Trafford for the first time since 2013.
"Hopefully it's a good time, I hope so," he said. "That shows how difficult that stadium is. Not only for us, but for every club. We are going to try to do our best and try to win the game."
On Van Nistelrooy, whom Maresca played once alongside at Spanish club Malaga, the Chelsea boss said: "I will give him a big hug before the game. We expect a tough game."
"Fantastic guy. Humble, very professional," he added of the Dutchman. "We had a very good group of human beings with Malaga. It's nice to remember that kind of moment."
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