“Absolutely” – Enzo Maresca accidentally criticises sporting directors’ transfer decisions | OneFootball

Injuries have stated to really hit Chelsea hard in recent weeks, and today’s press conference with Enzo Maresca was more about who isn’t available for the game against Aston Villa than who is available.

It’s not just the missing players that’s the problem – this team are getting outfought and outrun by teams constructed for a fraction of the cost. Maresca was directly asked whether a lack of physicality in his squad was an issue, and he agreed wholeheartedly.

“Absolutely, it is an important part. Like I said, when reviewing the first game played against [Aston Villa, earlier this season], we had more physical players like Wes, Romeo and even Nico – who we said many times off the ball is working very hard – and this is the reason why in this moment, we are struggling a little bit in terms of results,” the Chelsea boss said.

Chelsea’s squad look weak physically and mentally

Levi Colwill challenges Virgil van Dijk for a header in the Carabao Cup final 2024. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Of course, Maresca doesn’t necessarily mean this to be an open criticism of his bosses who brought together a group which prioritised technique over physicality, but there’s no other way of looking at it. Maresca is also right that missing 3 players to injury doesn’t help, but we don’t see Romeo Lavia as a particularly physical player anyway.

The fact is that this team is desperately short (no pun intended) of big guys, and while that seems basic, just look at the teams that Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal are putting out in the last couple of years and it becomes clear which way the game is going. When 1.78m Moises Caicedo is your most physical central midfielder, you’re going to have a problem in this league, as is becoming very clear week by week.