Chelsea are preparing to take on Wolves in the Carabao Cup, with manager Enzo Maresca eager to keep his sights set on a third trophy for the club. The Blues will be heading to Molineux to face off against Vitor Pereira’s struggling squad, who have yet to secure a victory in the Premier League this season.
Following a surprising late 2-1 defeat to Sunderland over the weekend, Maresca is keen to get his team back on track. It’s likely that the Chelsea boss will field a significantly different side to the one that recently stumbled at Stamford Bridge. However, Maresca will want to add the Carabao Cup to the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup trophies he has already won with the Blues.
Ahead of the clash with Wolves, Maresca has provided injury updates and addressed Joao Pedro’s ongoing struggle to find the back of the net. The unexpected loss to Sunderland has also prompted a Chelsea legend to criticise Maresca for a mistake that could prove costly come the end of the season. In the Carabao Cup, Chelsea managed to overcome an initial scare against Lincoln City to set up their match with Wolves, while their Premier League opponents defeated West Ham United and Everton in earlier rounds. Here, Express Sport delves into some of the key headlines surrounding Chelsea.
Chelsea manager makes Erling Haaland comparison
Enzo Maresca has leapt to the defence of Joao Pedro, insisting that the Brazilian forward should not be compared to goal machines like Erling Haaland. The striker made a blistering start to his Chelsea career, netting three times in as many matches at the Club World Cup following his move from Brighton.
The 24-year-old’s impressive form carried over into the start of the Premier League season, with two goals and three assists in Chelsea’s opening four fixtures. However, Pedro has since experienced a seven-game spell without contributing a goal or an assist, leading Maresca to argue that the expectations on the Brazilian have been inflated due to his immediate impact at the club.
“When you are not 100%, it’s difficult to compete, especially in this league,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. “But I think Joao is not a problem at all.
“He’s going to score goals with us. He’s going to give us assists, knowing that Joao Pedro is not a No.9 that is going to score 20 goals each year.
“It’s not Joao, he’s a fantastic player, he’s going to score goals for us, he’s going to give us assists. But it’s a different kind of nine, like this kind of nine that they score 20-25 goals each year like Lewandowski, Mbappe or Haaland. This is a different kind of No.9.”
Enzo Maresca decision called out
Chelsea were left reeling after a last-minute winner from Sunderland, but club legend John Obi Mikel believes a misjudgement by Maresca allowed their rivals back into the match. The Blues had taken an early lead thanks to Alejandro Garnacho, but Wilson Isidor quickly levelled for the visitors, paving the way for Chelmsdine Talbi’s dramatic goal.
Mikel’s criticism was focused on the late double substitution of Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro. The duo were swapped out for Andrey Santos and Tyrique George in the 85th minute, a move that the ex-midfielder felt weakened Chelsea’s attack.
“I’ve never been critical of Enzo Maresca, I’m a big fan of his,” he stated on The Obi One Podcast. “But I just thought that when we were chasing that game, to win that game when it was 1-1, at home, you can’t take your best players out. You can’t substitute your best players. It doesn’t matter that you’re not playing so great.
“Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto, they were not playing so well. But you leave those players on the pitch, they will find a way to create chances, they will find a way to win that game.
“I just thought for him to substitute Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto out, after that substitution it was just flat, absolutely flat. There was nothing, we just couldn’t offer anything.”
Chelsea injury update for Wolves
The Chelsea manager has confirmed that striker Liam Delap has returned to the squad following his recovery from a hamstring problem. It marks a boost for the Blues, though Maresca warned that three other players will be handled with care ahead of the clash with Wolves.
“He took part in a complete session yesterday and he is available for tomorrow,” Maresca said of Delap. “No, he will not play 90 minutes. He’s been out two months, so he needs to be gradually brought back to 100 per cent [fitness].”
Regarding the latest fitness worries in his squad, the boss added: “Enzo [Fernandez], Moi [Caicedo] and Joao [Pedro], they are all different players for different reasons. We need to protect them.
“The reason why is that we need to rotate, we need to protect players. If we go with the same XI, we will struggle through the season. We are going to make some changes, I don’t know how many, but we will make changes.”