Chelsea face Spanish champions Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Blues have been in fine form in the Premier League of late – winning five of their last six games – but were held to a 2-2 draw by Qarabag in Azerbaijan in their last European outing.
At present the Blues sit 12th in the 36-team group phase table, and Maresca will know that his side must improve if they are to qualify automatically for the knockout stages of the competition.
In the meantime, it has emerged that Chelsea are set to battle it out with one of their rivals for the signing of a Spanish midfielder.
According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea have joined Premier League champions Liverpool in the race to sign Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios.
It is claimed that the Blues are preparing to add a marquee signing to Maresca’s midfield options, with Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson another option being considered.
Barrios has attracted interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool (Photo: Sipa US/Alamy)
Barrios, 22, is a product of Atletico’s youth academy and has now made more than 120 appearances for the club across all competitions.
The Spaniard has already featured 16 times for Diego Simeone’s side so far this term, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Spanish outfit would be willing to sell such an important player.
Despite the Spain international being under contract in Madrid until the end of the 2029/30 campaign, both Liverpool and Chelsea are said to have identified Barrios as a possible transfer target as they look to add to their respective midfield rosters.
It is also claimed that Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo is another midfielder on Chelsea’s shortlist of transfer targets, with the Blues aware that they may need to add depth to Maresca’s squad.
The injury record of Romeo Lavia will likely be a concern for the West London side, with the Belgian having already missed more than 80 matches since joining the club from Southampton less than two years ago.