"This is the best thing" - Enzo Maresca confirms two Chelsea players are set to leave this month
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Ben Chilwell and Cesare Casadei are looking to leave Chelsea this month. He has decided to leave out both players from his FA Cup squad that faces Morecambe FC in the third round this weekend.
Ahead of the FA Cup clash, Maresca stated that Chilwell and Casadei will be desperate to avoid injuries as they look to find a move away from Chelsea. He added that it was best to not pick the duo and said (via Football.London):
"Chilwell, for him, I think in this moment is thinking he is probably going to leave, so it is probably better to avoid using him to avoid that kind of situation, an injury or this kind of things. So the plan is not to use Ben tomorrow."
When quizzed about Casadei, he added:
"Yes, Cesare will not be in the squad. It is more or less the same situation as Ben Chilwell. For him, probably in this moment, the idea is not to allow him to play some minutes in case there is any opportunity for him to go and play. At this moment, this is the best thing for him."
Maresca was asked if the move for the Italian midfielder was on loan or a permanent deal, he added:
"I don't know. The only thing I can say is Cesare didn't get minutes for us, not because he's not good. He is a good player and in the middle we have Caicedo, Enzo and Lavia - for me, who are the same position.
"Cesare has shown how good he can be in the Conference League, playing all the games as a No.6; physically strong and good in the air. He is a good player but we have already many good players in that position already so he didn't get the minutes."
Torino have made a bid for Casadei, while Napoli are also said to be interested. West Ham United have been linked with a move for Ben Chilwell.
Enzo Maresca understands importance of FA Cup for Chelsea
Enzo Maresca has admitted that the FA Cup is important for Chelsea as it is a cultural thing. He added that the cup competitions are not important in Italy and said:
"Probably the culture and the history of this competition. It's the oldest one. It's very nice. Not only in Italy, but also in Spain, they care about the competition but not like in England with the FA Cup."
Chelsea last won the FA Cup in 2018 and will be desperate to end their terrible run in the cup. They last three finals in a row (2020, 2021 and 2022), where they lost to Arsenal, Leicester City and Liverpool.
