Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has explained his decision to substitute teenage winger Estevao Willian during the club’s recent Premier League defeat against Leeds United. The Italian tactician withdrew the Brazilian youngster at half-time at Elland Road following a challenging first forty-five minutes for the attacker.
Estevao had earned his place in the starting lineup following impressive cameo appearances earlier in the season, leading to starts in high-profile fixtures against Barcelona and Arsenal.
However, the intensity of the midweek clash in Yorkshire proved difficult for the 18-year-old, prompting Maresca to make a tactical change at the break as the Blues sought to salvage a result. Questions were raised regarding whether the opposition had specifically targeted the young talent or if the hostile atmosphere played a role in his performance.
The Blues boss addressed the situation in his post-match assessment, highlighting the unique difficulties foreign players face when visiting historic English grounds like Elland Road for the first time. Addressing the suggestion that Leeds players singled out the winger, Maresca clarified his perspective to the media:
“My feeling was not that Leeds targeted him. I think my feeling after the game is that Leeds, they target all our players. It was not just Estevao. For him, my comment after the game is because he’s 18, he’s from Brazil, he probably didn’t know where we were going to play.”
Maresca emphasized that adapting to the Premier League involves understanding the specific environments of certain stadiums, suggesting patience is required for the high-profile arrival.
Maresca defends rotation policy ahead of Bournemouth clash
Beyond individual performances, the broader topic of squad rotation has come under scrutiny following the loss to the Whites. Critics pointed to the multiple changes made to the starting eleven as a contributing factor to the disjointed display. Still, the Chelsea head coach insisted that physical constraints forced his hand regarding team selection.
Maresca specifically discussed the fitness management required for defenders Reece James and Wesley Fofana:
“Most of the rotation we do is because the other [player] they cannot play. So we have players that they are, in this moment, not able to play every three days.”
The manager also noted the fatigue carried over from playing a significant portion of their previous fixture with a numerical disadvantage, which impacted the squad’s readiness for the trip to Leeds.
“The reason why most of the rotation we have done in the past is for this… When you pick 11 players and you win, everything is fine. When you pick 11 players and you don’t win, there is always a reason why, for sure.
“Again, I think we playing with 10 players for one hour and then after three days go to Leeds is not the best situation for us. But in the future, in case it happens, we need to be better, we need to do many things better.”