Maresca Urges Chelsea to Be Wary of 'Tricky' Southampton Match

Enzo Maresca has warned Chelsea to be cautious of a 'tricky' match against Southampton, as they seek to build momentum in the Premier League.

Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah will be sidelined for at least a week due to an injury sustained during the team's 2-1 Premier League loss to Aston Villa over the weekend. Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the news on Monday, stating, “He had a check yesterday and he will be around one week to 10 days.” Chalobah's absence adds to Chelsea's lengthy injury list, which already includes Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana, all of whom missed the Villa match.

Maresca acknowledged that while Chalobah's injury is not severe, it is still a significant blow to the team. "On one side it is good because it is not an important injury but on the other side it is a shame because we lose another player at this moment with the amount of injuries that we had," he said. Chelsea's loss to Villa marked their third consecutive defeat in all competitions, with goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen's error contributing to the team's demise.

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Despite Jorgensen's mistake, Maresca expressed his continued faith in the goalkeeper as his first choice. “He feels a little bit sad and upset because he recognises it was a mistake but overall he is okay,” the manager said. As Chelsea prepare to face Southampton on Tuesday, Maresca will be hoping that his team can bounce back from their recent losses and secure a much-needed win.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is wary of the challenge posed by bottom-placed Southampton in their upcoming match, despite his team's superior position in the league table. Chelsea are currently just a point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, but Maresca is cautious about underestimating Southampton. “I don't trust games like this; they can be tricky games. If you watch the game against Manchester United away they were winning 1-0 until the last five minutes,” he said, highlighting Southampton's potential to cause an upset.

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Maresca emphasized that every game from now on will be crucial, with all teams fighting for something. “It's a tricky one and from now on, every game, every team is playing for something so they are all going to be tough,” he noted. As Chelsea look to build momentum, Maresca acknowledged that his team needs to start picking up positive results. Despite being the former manager of Leicester City, Maresca is well aware of the expectations at Chelsea, saying, “When you are at Chelsea, I don't think you have games you don't prepare to win. Our duty is to prepare for every game to win.”

With 12 games remaining in the season, Maresca views each match as a must-win for Chelsea. “From now on we have 12 games to go and no doubt all of them are must-win for us,” he said. The manager believes that securing a win will help his team build momentum, which is essential at this critical stage of the season. “I have the feeling that winning one, we can build a good momentum again. That is what I think in this moment the players need,” Maresca added.