Enzo Maresca has revealed he was happy for three players in particular after Tuesday night’s victory over Barrow in the Carabao cup.
The Italian made 11 changes to the side that beat West Ham last weekend and the Blues romped home to a comfortable 5-0 victory against the League Two leaders.
It was an opportunity for players who are struggling to force their way into the starting line-up to impress and several took their chance.
Maresca happy for Chelsea trio after Barrow win
Chelsea’s wealth of attacking depth was on display as Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Pedro Neto all came into the starting line-up.
The trio have struggled to force their way into Maresca’s strongest side but made the most of their opportunity in the cup.
Nkunku scored a well taken hat-trick whilst Neto opened his Chelsea account and Felix also impressed despite having his free kick go down as an own goal.
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The performances would have given Maresca food for thought and after the game the Italian expressed how he was happy for the trio.
“I am happy for Pedro, I am happy for Christo and Joao, all of them,” he told Chelsea’s website.
“They all deserve to play from the start in the Premier League but they are not playing in this moment.
“But the way they take their chances when we give them some minutes is fantastic. No matter if it is five minutes, 45 minutes or 90 minutes, they are all ready and that is the most important thing.
“This is the most important thing for me, that they make my choice difficult. That means they are all doing well, this is a key point that we need to continue like that.”
It’s great to have all these options and genuine game changers on the bench , but Maresca faces a difficult juggling act to keep all the players happy, but thankfully Chelsea have got plenty of games this season which makes that task slightly easier.
