Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has insisted he has no regrets about his team selection in Saturday’s disappointing draw with Brentford.
With a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich coming up on Wednesday, Maresca opted to rotate his starting lineup. Changes at full back saw Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Malo Gusto all start on the bench, while Facundo Buonanotte was given the nod at attacking midfield.
Maresca made several changes after seeing his side enter the half-time break 1–0 down and looked to have inspired a come-from-behind win, only for Fábio Carvalho to tap home at the back post deep into stoppage time to salvage a draw.
In the face of questions about his selection, Maresca insisted he could not afford to focus solely on the upcoming game against Bayern.
“Our focus was about tonight and the reason why is because this season we play Champions League, because we did well in the Premier League,” Maresca explained. “If we want to play again in the Champions League next season, we need to do well in the Premier League.”
Marc Guiu, who Maresca described as Chelsea’s only natural striker in the absence of Liam Delap, did not even make the bench to offer cover for João Pedro, despite the fact the Brazilian had complained of a fitness issue.
“João Pedro before the game asked me, that he was not fit 100% and that it was better that he doesn’t play,” Maresca revealed. “So if I was thinking about Bayern Munich, then João would be on the bench.
“João played because the focus was on tonight. But for sure when you have so many games you have to plan different options.
“Marc is a striker and we know him from last year but in this moment we needed to leave one of them out of the squad. I also wanted to give Ty [George] a little bit of confidence. He did quite well vs. Fulham and was OK today.”
Fans will hope for a speedy response from Chelsea, not least because Wednesday’s trip to Munich could bring about a reunion with the on-loan Nicolas Jackson.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Enzo Maresca Defends Surprise Chelsea Team Selection in Brentford Draw.