Liam Delap apologizes as Enzo Maresca warns Chelsea must curb red card chaos

The Chelsea coach has warned that the young striker must learn quickly from his mistake.

The 22-year-old was shown two yellow cards within seven minutes of coming on as a substitute at Molineux, first for wrestling Yerson Mosquera to the ground and then for a reckless aerial challenge on Emmanuel Agbadou. His return from a two-month injury lay-off lasted just 26 minutes.

It was Chelsea's sixth red card in their last nine matches, adding to growing concern over the squad's discipline. Maresca, who was visibly frustrated after the game and described the dismissal as "stupid" and "embarrassing," criticised Delap for focusing too much on his individual battle with the central defender rather than the team effort.

He has since taken a calmer stance ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Tottenham.

"I'm not from England, so sometimes when I translate from Italian, it sounds stronger than I mean," Maresca said. "Liam was focused too much on his battle with the central defender instead of the game itself. Straight after the match, he apologised to everyone in the dressing room.

"I know Liam well. He will be a fantastic player for us, but like the rest, there are things he must improve. It's something we have to learn from and do better. I've no doubt we'll be stronger in the future."

Chelsea's growing disciplinary record has drawn criticism, with some suggesting the team lack experience and leadership. Maresca, however, has maintained his preference for a measured approach, allowing players to handle minor disciplinary matters internally.

"I don't believe harsh punishment helps," he added. "I like to reason with players. Liam knows he made a mistake. Full stop. We move on."

Maresca confirmed that Joao Pedro will return to the starting line-up against Tottenham, while midfielders Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are also fit and available after featuring as substitutes in the 4-3 win at Molineux.

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