The Qarabag draw may have tested that belief, but the context provides insight into Chelsea’s thinking. The fixture came just three days after a draining Premier League win at Tottenham and required a 5,000-mile round trip to Baku, an intense turnaround that left several players nursing minor knocks.
Romeo Lavia’s early injury meant Caicedo entered after just eight minutes, while Fernandez was introduced at halftime to stabilise a shaky midfield. Still, there were flashes of Chelsea’s potential amid the chaos. 18-year-old Estevao, now the club’s top scorer this season, struck early, and Garnacho’s late equaliser salvaged a point in an otherwise uneven performance. Chelsea’s rotation-heavy approach has also yielded positives across the wider campaign, including increased game time for promising prospects like Tyrique George, Jorrel Hato, and Jamie Gittens, all of whom are expected to form part of the club’s long-term core.
Critically, Maresca’s relationship with Chelsea’s multi-director structure has been described as strong and communicative. He is said to meet weekly with the sporting leadership team to align on squad planning and player workloads, ensuring that decisions around selection are made collaboratively.