While their professional relationship ended on New Year’s Day, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Maresca have found themselves in unanimous agreement over the physical toll being placed on Chelsea’s stars.
Marc Cucurella’s 2025/26 season has been a mix of a lot of minutes and disciplinary setbacks under the transition from Enzo Maresca to Liam Rosenior.
Until a recent hamstring injury sidelined him in February, the Spaniard was one of Chelsea‘s most-used players, effectively run into the ground before the managerial change.
One thing that let Cucurella down was his red card against Fulham, which came just days after the Chelsea leadership team talked about improving discipline.
Cucurella has contributed one goal and three assists in 27 appearances, but he has been a central figure in a defensive unit that has now remarkably gone 15 games without a clean sheet.
But the Spanird thinks there’s an issue that is holding him and all his teammates back.
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Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis
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Marc Cucurella admits Chelsea’s schedule is too much
Speaking whilst away with the Spanish national team, Marc Cucurella has raised the schedule issue, claiming that Chelsea players haven’t had a proper rest for a few years now (LTN).
“I think that the absence of some teammates in this concentration is the result of the fact that we are playing many games.
“Some of us have been two summers without stopping and this would be the third. But the illusion of playing in a World Cup is unique; we will try to arrive as well as possible.
“There is still room and we are in a position to recover important pieces that we are missing and we can arrive with maximum energy.”
Chelsea has played a total of 56 matches as of late March 2026. This grueling schedule is a direct result of their deep runs in multiple competitions and their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup last summer.
One of many problems on the pitch at the moment 🤦♂️
Chelsea's Wesley Fofana
Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Enzo Maresca agrees with the busy Chelsea schedule
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has already voiced his concern about how little rest the players received after his exit.
“What do I think about the fact that we play too much? Either you adapt or you don’t train or you don’t play a player. The reality is that there are more and more games: with Chelsea playing in the Club World Cup we didn’t take holidays, retirement, everything is a consequence.
“A few days ago a FIFA study came out that indicated Chelsea and PSG as the teams with the most injuries, coincidentally the finalists of the World Cup. In short, either you adapt or you struggle.”
Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill are currently out with injuries, and there’s the risk of more to come with the FA Cup and Premier League, followed by the World Cup in the summer.
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