Maresca decision means key player will miss Liverpool game – he explains what he brings | OneFootball

Football players usually want to start games – you’d think that would be especially true for players who have missed swathes of their career with dreadful injury problems. But Reece James is in something of a funny position where he probably finds himself a little disappointed when he sees his name on the teamsheet.

It’s all because of those bad injuries. Manager Enzo Maresca has made it very clear that he won’t start James twice in a week (certainly not on a Thursday-Sunday split), so by using him tonight, he all but guarantees his captain won’t be in the lineup to face Liverpool on Sunday.

Still, James will just be happy to be playing, given how much time he’s missed before. Before kick off, Enzo Maresca spoke about his captain and what he can bring:

“He’s very important for us, we said many times especially in these kinds of games, he has experience enough to help his teammates. And yeah, the 8 changes, it’s just that we think this is the best XI for tonight’s game.”

Maresca on talented George’s potential impact

Tyrique George scores his first Chelsea goal. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

Maresca was also asked about Tyrique George, who starts up front tonight, and had more positive words about the academy youngster who has clearly really made an impression on him:

“We need to trust young players, we need to gives them chances, so hopefully he’s going to have a good game.”

Maresca addresses artificial pitch concerns

The artificial pitch at the 3 Arena has been also been a topic of conversation this week but Maresca refused to use it as an excuse:

“The pitch is what it is, and we need to adapt. We are here to play a game, to try and win the game, and we’re going to try our best, knowing that the pitch is completely different to the one that we’re used to playing on.”

You can see Maresca speaking in the clip embedded here: