Chelsea remain firmly behind Enzo Maresca’s squad rotation strategy after Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Qarabag, despite scrutiny over his decision to make seven changes to the starting lineup.
Club sources insist there is no concern over Maresca’s approach, which is viewed as a long-term strategy to keep players fresh and manage a demanding schedule across four competitions. Chelsea believe their deep squad can only thrive if rotation is consistent, particularly after a disrupted pre-season and ongoing injury issues.
Maresca was without Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Benoît Badiashile in Baku, while several others — including Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and João Pedro — have been carrying minor knocks. His plans were disrupted when Roméo Lavia suffered a thigh injury early on, forcing Caicedo to come off the bench.
Although the long trip to Azerbaijan complicated preparations, Maresca fielded a mix of experience and youth, with Reece James, Marc Cucurella, and Robert Sánchez starting. However, youngsters Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Jamie Gittens, and Jorrel Hato struggled, with all but Hato substituted at halftime.
Chelsea’s hierarchy, however, remains committed to Maresca’s development-focused vision. They believe players like Santos and Hato will only learn his tactical demands through regular minutes. The manager’s careful handling of key players — notably keeping Reece James fit for an extended run — has also been praised.
While results have been inconsistent when rotating heavily, the club’s leadership values Maresca’s long-term planning over short-term gains. They see patience and load management as essential to sustaining success, and his approach will not change ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves.
