Enzo Maresca Fires Back After Wayne Rooney Slams Chelsea
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has dismissed criticism from Wayne Rooney after the Manchester United icon questioned the Italian's approach to squad rotation.
A heavily rotated team managed only a 2–2 stalemate against Qarabağ in Champions League action during the week, prompting Rooney to criticize Maresca's player rotation strategy— he highlighted several disappointing performances in what was a surprisingly sharp attack on the Chelsea manager.
"The squad members want regular playing time, they want to develop partnerships," he stated on The Wayne Rooney Show. "When you constantly make changes then the players become frustrated. I believe this approach will eventually backfire.
"If results are consistently positive then you cannot argue with it, but when they're not, serious questions must be raised.
"I believe most teams now operate with a leadership core and as a collective you must challenge the manager. People mention 'player power' but this isn't about player power. "I would be worried if the lineup kept fluctuating. If I was part of that [leadership] core I would be talking to my colleagues saying, 'Listen, I'm not satisfied with this approach.'"
Maresca: No Second Thoughts About Squad Decisions
Before Saturday's clash with Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers, Maresca had the opportunity to address Rooney's comments—and the Chelsea manager made it evident he wasn't losing sleep over the matter.
"I have stated repeatedly, we exist in a time, in an age where everyone can express their opinions," Maresca replied. "That's fair, I fully respect that, but I also mentioned following the Qarabağ match that since my arrival at the club, it remains my philosophy to rotate the squad, and nobody objected when you secure victories. I can appreciate that nobody disagreed.
"I believe that when the rotation involves Andrey Santos, Brazil international, Jorrel Hato, Netherlands international, Estêvão Willian, Brazil international, it's not simply about rotation. They possess quality, they have talent, they are youthful, and certainly when they are developing, you must provide them opportunities to learn from errors, to improve. The identical situation I think occurred previously with Josh Acheampong.
"But once more, I recognize that when you fail to secure a victory, the issue becomes the rotation or the defending."
Additional Assessments Required for Lavia Setback
Beyond the frustrating outcome, the midweek stalemate with Qarabağ may have broader consequences as midfielder Roméo Lavia suffered a muscle problem in the opening moments, cutting short what was only his 30th outing since joining Chelsea in summer 2023.
The Belgian has already been sidelined for a combined 77 matches for the Blues due to no less than nine separate injuries, and Maresca remained uncertain about Lavia's recovery timeline from his tenth physical setback.
"We lack an update currently, so we must wait several more hours to complete all necessary examinations, but certainly right now he is sidelined," he explained.
"It's disappointing. It's particularly frustrating at this time because we are attempting to reduce risks for him. But despite those efforts, he's hurt once more. We must persist until we discover the proper solution for him."