Adapting: Enzo Maresca admits that Jorrel Hato initially struggled with the intensity and physicality at Chelsea
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Enzo Maresca has revealed that Jorrel Hato initially “struggled” to adapt to English football, but insisted the Chelsea teenager is “getting better and better” ahead of facing former club Ajax.
Hato swapped the Dutch giants for Stamford Bridge in August in a deal worth around £37.5million.
The versatile Netherlands international can play at either centre-back or left-back and has featured five times across all competitions for the Blues since his arrival, starting three games.
Chelsea host Ajax in the league phase of the Champions League on Wednesday evening as they look to build on a 1-0 home win over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica last time out, which saw them bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in their opening fixture.
Ajax currently sit fourth in the Eredivisie and have won only four of nine league games so far this term, losing to both Inter Milan and Marseille in the Champions League.
“We are very happy with Jorrel since he arrived,” Chelsea boss Maresca said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “He is trying to adapt a little bit to different competitions, English football, but we are very happy with him.
“The first two, three weeks he struggled a little bit in terms of physicality, in terms of intensity, but he is getting better and better.”
Maresca was also asked which position he sees as being the defender’s strongest, between full-back or centre-back.
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“I think he can play both,” Maresca said. “He is a very good player. He can be a central defender or full-back, but also he can join a midfielder, attacking phases, so I think he can play different positions.”