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What Tosin Adarabioyo said ahead of Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers in Conference League

Tosin Adarabioyo has previewed Chelsea's Conference League clash against Shamrock Rovers on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old was given the duty of speaking to reporters for their fixture against Shamrock Rovers in Chelsea's final Conference League match of the league phase.

Tosin has featured in four of Chelsea's five games in the competition so far (excluding the play-off matches against Servette), missing just the 4-1 win over Panathinaikos in matchday two.

After arriving on a free transfer in the summer following his Fulham departure, Tosin has become a solid option for Enzo Maresca to select from, albeit his preferred duo has been Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue.

Our first-ever match against an Irish side. 🔜🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/A0LFiW22f4

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 18, 2024

Tosin played the full 90 minutes during their 2-1 win over Brentford on Sunday night in the Premier League and Maresca may opt to rest the centre-back if he plans on using him against Everton this weekend.

Here is what Tosin said ahead of Chelsea's Conference League fixture against Shamrock Rovers.

Response from players to Mykhailo Mudryk news?

"It's new news to all of us. We found out the same time as you guys. We still support Misha. Hopefully things can get resolved.

"There is not much we can do in this situation, it's out of our hands. But Misha is part of our family, so we are here to support him."

Serves as a reminder to players that this situation can happen, especially factoring in international duty?

"It's definitely something that can happen, but you have to take precautions. All of us are now being very careful of what we are taking and the club is supporting us with that."

Reaction to Josh Acheampong's new deal?

"Great news. Very happy to see that news. He's an amazing player and I'm very excited that he is here to stay."

"For me, Josh has absolutely everything to be a top, top defender. He's quick, he's strong, he's amazing on the ball and he's got a lot of confidence which I love to see in a young defender. I am sure he can reach his full potential."

How much are you enjoying working with Enzo Maresca?

"I'm really enjoying it. Its been an amazing journey since the start of July in pre-season. We've not just made, but every single player has progressed massively and we are all improving every single day to keep striving for more."

Do the squad believe Chelsea can win the Premier League this season?

"Our main objective is to improve every single day, improving each matchday and learning, and just to progress, and learning what the gaffer wants us to do. So we will see where that takes us at the end (of the season)."

Do the squad believe Chelsea can win the Conference League this season?

"Yeah, it's definitely a competition we've set out to win. Since we knew we were in the competition, that's what we've set ourselves up to win. Tomorrow is another game to stamp our authority."

How do you find Enzo Maresca as a manager?

"He's top. He knows how to manage each player. It's amazing that we are in so many competitions because he is able to give us all minutes and make us all feel important within the squad.

"He's definitely easy to have a chat with. He can tell what each individual needs. Whether you need an arm around you or whether you need a bollocking, he knows the right moment when to do that.

"There is times when you can have a laugh and a joke with us. But that's mainly off the pitch when we're away from training. He's just a very nice guy. He's been a player before so he knows exactly what it's like."

Showing leadership when required?

"I'm here to help wherever I can and be that leader, and keep the team unified like I always try to do. We have a lot of leaders in the team and a lot more are growing, so it's great to see."

Not letting Mudryk situation disrupt current momentum?

"Yeah, it's obviously a very unfortunate situation, but we are all professionals and know once we get on that pitch we've got business to do. That's our main focus."

Sam Rak-Sakyi praising your leadership qualities?

"To be honest, Sam is a top, top player. I love to see him play. He's a bit quiet I would say, but to see him go out there last week and put that performance in (vs Astana)... he was confident with everything that he did, he managed to put a great performance in. I try to make him feel comfortable and make him believe in himself and know what he is able to do on the pitch."

Winning the Conference League

"It would be great to win a European trophy, it's a dream. We are in it now, so we are looking to win it. The competition that we are in, we definitely think we can push on and get great results all the way to the final and win it."

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