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Enzo Maresca has explained why he replaced Enzo Fernandez at half-time during Chelsea’s 8-0 Europa Conference League win over FC Noah.
The Argentine was recently left out of the Blues’ starting line-up for Premier League games and was dropped at the break when Chelsea were leading 6-0 against Armenian side Noah, with Fernandez assisting half of the goals.
The 23-year-old joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a fee of £106.8million, but has not always found life at Stamford Bridge smooth despite the huge transfer fee he commanded during his departure from Benfica.
When asked why he replaced Fernandez at halftime against Noah, Maresca replied: “He is fine. It was just a technical decision. No more on that. It was good.
Maresca also handed a first start to 18-year-old academy star Tyrique George.
“I think he was very good,” the Italian said of George’s performance. “With young players, it is sometimes better to let them know the day before so they can prepare. With some of them, it’s better to tell them at the end so they don’t get upset.
“The plan with Tyrique was that he already knew he was going to start. I just told him two hours before the match. I think he was very good. Also, Sam Rak-Sakyi when he was inside was good.
“I’m very happy that Marc Guiu scored. He hasn’t had many minutes with us this season but he works very hard.
Reflecting on his team’s considerable victory against the Armenians, Maresca said: “The players showed once again how professional and serious they are. It’s very easy to slip into these kinds of games. Football is full of surprises. I asked them to show how professional they are, and they showed it.
