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Enzo Maresca has suggested that his team is facing the aftermath" of their recent global tournament involvement, with a significant number of players unavailable for the upcoming fixture against Liverpool.

Current Injury Situation

Key player the young star is out with a recurring groin injury, adding to the roster of long-term absentees that features Wesley Fofana, Liam Delap, Colwill, Santos, and Tosin Adarabioyo. Moreover, Trevoh Chalobah is suspended following his dismissal in the recent loss to Brighton.

"This is reality," the coach commented. "If PSG and Chelsea have a high number of fitness issues, likely it's some result from the tournament. In this situation we have four or five backline players out, but we're going to attempt to adapt and find the best answer."

Report Points to Fixture Concerns

A recent study from the global football union Fifpro showed that the club's squad were given 20 days off after claiming victory in the competition in the summer, while Paris Saint-Germain, the beaten finalists, gave breaks to their team members for over three weeks. The report linked this intense schedule to the injury challenges experienced by both teams.

Maresca expressed alignment with the study's conclusions and stressed his faith in the young talent who will fill the gaps. Josh Acheampong is expected to make his fourth Premier League appearance in the backline.

Belief in Youth

"This is challenging," he admitted, "but at the same time we believe in the ones that are available. For sure, when you can rotate one player after several matches, it's preferable. The more you perform alongside with colleagues, the relationship becomes stronger. Sometimes you don't even need to speak to do an action on the field – they grasp immediately. When you continue to change it's increasingly hard."

"Yet I truly have faith in the young stars. Not just the youth that we purchased but also the young players from the academy. We provided games last season to Josh so that shows that I rely on young players."

Conduct Record Discussed

Regarding disciplinary concerns, the manager claimed he is unworried by the team's record of dismissals. The squad has been shown three red cards in their last three matches, including a player's red card in the European victory over the Portuguese side.

Since his appointment in mid-2024, Chelsea has the worst disciplinary stats among Premier League teams, with multiple red cards in seventy-three games – a red card every 10.4 matches. Additionally, they lead the division for cautions under his tenure, with 114 cautions.

"I don't see a discipline problem," he said. "You have to analyse each incident individually. When it's a red card for bad intention or for poor behavior, it's distinct from the Manchester United red card or the Seagulls sending-off. In those case, it's simply a choice that you have to make in an instant, three seconds. Do I do a foul or not? It's tough."