Enzo Maresca has admitted it’s unlikely that summer singing Pedro Neto will start against former club Wolves on Sunday.
The Blues started the season with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend at Stamford Bridge, but responded on Thursday night with victory in the Europa Conference League against Servette.
Chelsea will be looking for further improvements against Wolves as they look to get their first Premier League points of the season on the board.
Neto unlikely to start against Wolves
Chelsea don’t have a good record at Molineux and haven’t won in their last four visits with Wolves doing the double over the Blues last season.
In fact the last time the club won away at Wolves was in 2019 under Frank Lampard when they recorded a 5-2 victory.
Having signed Neto this summer, who has caused Chelsea issues in the past the Blues will be hoping that makes their task slightly easier on Sunday.
Wolves will know exactly what to expect from the Portuguese, but Maresca has admitted it’s unlikely the 24-year-old will be in the starting line-up.
“The last time Pedro played 90 minutes was in February,” he told Chelsea’s website.
“That is a long time ago. We need with him, and seven or eight more players – Romeo, Axel, Moi, Wes – we need to build a little bit their physical condition.
“To give Pedro another game on Sunday after playing 60, 65 minutes is probably too early, but we will see.”
Despite Neto’s quality his injury record is the one concern and the winger has missed a lot of football over the past couple of seasons.
The Portugal international has inherited Raheem Sterling’s number seven shirt and impressed off the bench against Manchester City and looked a threat in his first start for the Blues against Servette.
However, there is a chance new signing Joao Felix could make his debut having completed his £44.5m move from Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
