Maresca: No pressure from Chelsea for top 4 finish

Enzo Maresca has said he is under no pressure from Chelsea to secure Champions League qualification in his first season at the club.

Chelsea face Newcastle United in their Carabao Cup round-of-16 clash on Wednesday after defeating them 2-1 in Sunday’s league match at Stamford Bridge.

The west London side reached the final of the Carabao Cup last season, losing to Liverpool in extra time under previous manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Since succeeding the Argentine, Maresca’s side have lost three out of 14 matches across all competitions and are fifth in the league.

“The club never mentioned to me about top four. They always mentioned to me the target was to build something important for the next four or five years,” Maresca told a news conference on Tuesday.

“For sure, we work every day to reach something important. Pressure, on the players? I don’t think so, to be honest. If you go game by game, you can see yourself where you are in that moment. If you start to think about top four or top six, you are thinking about June and for me, it’s too far.”

Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns before their Carabao Cup clash and Maresca added that defender Wesley Fofana, who suffered a knock against Newcastle is fit to play.

Asked about former Manchester United player Jadon Sancho, has been an unused substitute in Chelsea’s past two matches, Maresca said: “Players cannot maintain the same level for the whole season because the amount of games is huge, so the last two games he didn’t play simply down to tactical decisions.”

The 24-year-old joined Chelsea on loan from United after falling out with their former boss Erik ten Hag and Maresca added that the winger will have more playing time in the future.

“Jadon has been doing well since he arrived,” Maresca said. “He will play many games and the only thing he has to do is continue to work hard and when we give him a chance, he has to take it.”