Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has urged Jadon Sancho to improve on his output for the club ahead of the clash against Tottenham on Thursday.
Sancho joined the club on loan from Manchester United in the summer with an obligation to buy.
However, after a stunning start to life at Stamford Bridge, Sancho has failed to live up to expectations, failing to score in his last 18 matches for the club.
Reports emerged last week that Chelsea are considering the option of returning Sancho back to Manchester United in the summer following his poor performances.
Enzo Maresca was asked about Sancho’s future in his pre-match conference ahead of the game against Tottenham on Thursday.
He said: “I love all the players with us. At this moment, it is to finish well and not think about next season. What happens in the summer, we will see. I am happy with all the players here.
“You probably have more news than me in terms of Jadon. His situation does not change, it is exactly the same. He can do better in terms of numbers, no doubt, but it is not only Jadon. I do not need to give Jadon a message, I speak with him every day. He needs to continue to give his best. That is what we want from Jadon.”
Similarly, Chelsea’s trio of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke are expected to feature against Tottenham on Thursday.
Similarly, Enzo Maresca also confirmed that the trio of Cole Palmer, Nico Jackson, and Noni Madueke are all expected to feature for Chelsea against Tottenham.
The Blues will welcome back their three top scorers against their London rivals at Stamford Bridge.
Jackson and Madueke have been out of action since February, while Cole Palmer sustained a muscle injury before the international break.
He said: “Cole is back, he’s okay. He’s better. Noni is better. Nico is better. They are all good.
“We’ve said many times, it is a game for players and when they are not there, you struggle. This has happened with us this season. Now it is good to finish with all of them.
“Since day one, they are giving everything. The attitude has always been top, every day, and even in the last week because they know how important it is from now on. Every game becomes important. We have nine games to go and hopefully we can finish well.
“No matter who is playing, we want to be direct and quick when they press higher. We cannot be direct and quick if they sit back. In our last three home games, they have all been games with every player behind the ball. When you have players who love to run in behind, it is easier.”
Chelsea have struggled for form, and consistency in the second half of the season with just just six wins out of their last 14 matches in all competitions.
Maresca is confident that the team can rediscover their early season form to qualify for the Champions League.
He said: “Personally, I am convinced we’re a better team than two months ago. The reason why is that you need to go through this kind of [difficult] moment. With the amount of injuries we had, my duty was to try to find solutions and we tried to move players, change positions, and try to find different solutions.
“We are there [in the top four] – and we have been there all season – so it’s our duty to try to finish there. And as I’ve said, this club belongs in the Champions League so we have to do everything in our hands to bring the club there.
The Italian manager was full of praise for Reece James, and Enzo Fernandez, who shone for their respective countries in the international break.
He said: “Enzo, I said already, he has been improving a lot, understanding the game much, much better. At the beginning, he struggled a bit but he is always in the right position now and that is why he is scoring and assisting. Even for the international team, he arrived in the box.
“Reece in another team is very, very young. In our team, probably a bit old but he is still very, very young. He’s 25 or 26, a top age.
“We still need to manage Reece. The reason why is because you know his history is probably better than me. You need to be careful with him at this moment. We want him fit until the end so we will manage him until the end and then we will see in the future.”
Chelsea have been dominant in their encounters against Tottenham in recent times with the North London club languishing in 14th on the log.
The former Leicester City coach highlighted the importance of the game for the players and the supporters.
Maresca said: ‘It’s a huge game, it’s big. We know how important it is for the fans and the club, but it’s also important for us to finish where we are now [in the Champions League qualification places]. It would be a huge achievement in this moment for us.
“From a win you can build momentum until the end of the season, but from now on every game is important and they all mean three points. So we have to win as much as we can and then we will see where we can finish.
“If you are able to finish the top four, top five, first of all it is fantastic for the fans, and for the club, because we can bring this club where it has always been,’ added our head coach.
“But for the players it’s also important because they can realise the work that they have done and have something for the future.”
Maresca will be hoping that Cole Palmer can rediscover his form after struggling to score or record an assist in his last eight matches in all competitions.
The English star is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, and six assists but he has been struggling for form in recent weeks, he missed a penalty against Leicester City last month.
Chelsea have won their last three encounters against Tottenham including the first leg which ended in a 4-3 victory with Cole Palmer scoring a brace.
Tottenham are struggling for form and they risk missing out on a qualification to Europe as they languish in the 14th position with 34 points from 29 matches.
