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Guiu needs to step up | Getty Images
Chelsea’s fringe stars can make a statement on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup.
But with fixtures piling up ahead of the November international break, Maresca has vowed to make changes to keep his starters in good condition for the Premier League and the Champions League. “Yes, we need to rotate,” he said in his press conference.
“We need to protect the players because if we go with the same XI, we are going to struggle during the season. We probably will make some changes against Wolves, I don’t know how many, but we will make changes. I don’t know if it’s going to be nine or 10 like it was from Forest to Ajax, but for sure we need to make some to rotate and help protect the players. There are players that they need to be protected for many reasons, so tomorrow we'll see. Enzo (Fernandez), Moi (Caicedo), Joao (Pedro) - they are all players, for different reasons, we need to protect them.”
In the meantime, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has been speaking about Chelsea, criticising the strength of the Blues squad overall.
What Merson has said
Merson told Sky Sports: “I like the options Chelsea have in the centre of their defence. The likes of Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong have done well, but they are all young players.
“I don’t think Levi Colwill would have come through as well as he has without having Thiago Silva to help him. It’s important for young defenders to have that sort of foil to learn from. That’s why I think Chelsea need to bring in an experienced defender to try and help the young players they have progress further. Then there’s the goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez is a good shot-stopper but I think he’s always got a mistake in him.
“In midfield, they’ve got one of the best in Moises Caicedo but up front, I think the decision to let Nicolas Jackson leave is coming back to bite Chelsea a bit. Marc Guiu wasn’t up to the task against Sunderland. To only touch the ball nine or 10 times when you are playing for a dominant team, that’s not good enough. Joao Pedro is also not training much as he manages an injury. It leaves Chelsea short, and I think it shows that squad is not as great as everyone makes out.”
Chelsea can prove Merson wrong
The Blues can prove Merson wrong on Wednesday night, when a number of fringe players are likely to get chance to prove themselves thanks to likely rotation. Merson’s analysis overlooks where Chelsea actually are in the process.
It’s easy to compare to an Arsenal side who are much further along, with the Gunners now finally in a position where they have depth throughout the squad. But Chelsea have invested in young talent, and they know it’s going to be another year or two before they are in a position with depth throughout the squad, with players needing to learn and develop before then.
But those young players can make a statement on Wednesday night against a poor Wolves side, but a Premier League side nonetheless, with a strong performance that bags a quarter-final spot. Nothing says good depth like making big changes and still winning games, and these young players need to prove they can carry the load if they want Maresca to lean on them more often.
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