London, Jan 3 (NationPress) Head coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea has recently reiterated his firm belief regarding the current situation of his team, consistently stating that they were never truly in the title race. This assertion was brought up again after the team dropped points in three successive league matches. Chelsea had held the second position in the Premier League before facing a 0-0 draw against Everton, a 1-2 loss to Fulham, and a shocking 0-2 defeat at Ipswich Town, which has caused them to slip to fourth place in the standings.
"I didn’t require a string of defeats to realize that we weren't in the title race. I've always expressed my thoughts on why I would like to claim we are in contention; it sounds appealing, but I genuinely believed we weren’t prepared. I didn’t need to lose two consecutive matches to validate my point to you or myself," Maresca stated during a press briefing.
Even though the title race is out of reach, Chelsea supporters are eager to secure a top-four finish to assure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League. Maresca emphasized the significance of every match moving forward.
"It's not just this weekend; the next 19 matches are crucial for us. None of us expected to be where we currently are at the beginning of the season, which indicates the team is performing admirably.
"The second half of the season is upon us, and we must continue our current trajectory. We could end up in third or second place again, but we could also find ourselves in fifth or sixth. It’s vital not to panic and simply see where we stand at the end of the season," he added.
Maresca also provided updates on Fofana’s hamstring injury, confirming that the defender will be out for an extended period, though he did not specify an exact timeline for his return. Fofana has faced a string of unfortunate injuries since joining Chelsea, including a Cruciate Ligament Tear that kept him sidelined for over a year, and he is now expected to miss significant time once again.
"With Wes, we cannot determine exactly how long he will be unavailable, but he does have a hamstring injury, and regrettably, we will be without him for a while. I have expressed my admiration for Wes on numerous occasions, and his absence is a significant loss for our team," he concluded.
