Enzo Maresca: Chelsea's half-time subs were planned, not punishment

Despite having strong depth on paper, injuries have already left manager Enzo Maresca with fewer options than expected.

The underwhelming display came only three weeks into the season, well before the added strain of European football begins.

Maresca opted for a weakened starting XI, a decision shaped by two key factors: the looming challenge of back-to-back big fixtures next week, and the squad's return from the international break.

However, the first half highlighted Chelsea's struggles, as the starters produced a disjointed performance.

By half-time, Maresca was compelled to introduce several of his big guns in an attempt to steady the ship. The changes brought improvement, but the overall showing still left questions about the team's sharpness and resilience.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website after the match, Maresca explained that not all of his substitutions were a direct response to the team's poor first-half display.

"We planned 45 minutes for Wes[ley Fofana] because he was a long time out. We planned not all the game for Jorrel [Hato], because I've said many times that when you've just arrived from another country you need time to adapt," said Maresca.

"Facundo [Buonanotte] joined us two weeks ago, physically also he is not 100 per cent.

"We needed to manage different situations, like Estevao [Willian] had to miss out. Joao Pedro also was not 100 per cent, but he did the effort to play part of the game."

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