Enzo Maresca explains the worrying reason he left Nkunku out of the squad today | OneFootball

Chelsea’s team for the win over Fulham today was pretty much as one would have expected. We predicted it from front to back, with just the surprise inclusion of Reece James catching us out.

We wouldn’t have expected Christopher Nkunku to start, but we certainly would have expected him to be on the bench. It was notable enough that he wasn’t there that manager Enzo Maresca was asked about in the press conference after the game:

“It was just a technical decision,” the coach explained.

This isn’t the first time Maresca has used that terminology. All it really means is that it was a decision he and the staff made, rather than a medical one.

Given it wasn’t a medical issue, and given how little Chelsea had on the bench in attack today (it was just Tyrique George and Jadon Sancho), this has to be seen as a deliberate dropping of the Frenchman.

If Nkunku was in form and favour, there’s no way he’d be left off a depleted bench for a “technical reason.”

All we can assume is that they’re not happy with his contributions in training, or perhaps in games. He’s had no shortage of minutes recently and hasn’t impressed. The last time Maresca dropped a player for a “technical decision” it was Noni Madueke, left out for poor training performances.

Nkunku reaching the end of the line at Chelsea

Christopher Nkunku chases a ball against Brentford. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

It very much feels like we’re into the Nkunku endgame now. He’s not very interested in playing for this team, and increasingly it looks like Maresca isn’t interested in playing him either. Tyrique George is offering more as a backup striker, as we saw today, and there is sure to be another 9 coming in this summer.

It’s a sad end to a story which promised so much in those first few friendly games.