Enzo Maresca sends message to Christopher Nkunku over Chelsea exit in January

Enzo Maresca insists helium has nary plans to spot Christopher Nkunku permission Chelsea successful the January transportation window.

The 27-year-old, who was signed successful a £52 cardinal woody from RB Leipzig past year, has struggled for playing clip this season, starting conscionable 1 of Chelsea’s 12 games successful the Premier League.

Reports person claimed that Nkunku is unhappy with his concern astatine Chelsea and is considering his options up of January.

Maresca is adamant that the French guardant volition person much playing clip implicit the wintertime play but insists his Chelsea broadside inactive request ‘balance’ successful their attack.

‘Joao Felix played a Premier League crippled the different time against Leicester and Christopher, for sure, is going to play Premier League games,’ Maresca said connected Wednesday evening.

‘But we person galore players, we effort to stock minutes with each of them. The intention, the people is to support each of them happy, adjacent knowing that sometimes it’s not possible.

‘Now is not the infinitesimal oregon the clip to deliberation astir January, we are inactive astatine the extremity of November, we inactive person many, galore games, particularly successful December, past we volition see.’

Asked if Nkunku had indicated to him that helium is unhappy astatine Chelsea, Maresca replied: ‘No, not astatine all.

‘I spoke with Christo days ago, helium didn’t accidental that he’s not happy.

‘For sure, helium would similar to play much minutes, similar many, galore players.

‘But arsenic I said, we person truthful galore games particularly present successful December, the different time the past crippled against Leicester Joao Felix played, Enzo [Fernandez] played, Benoit Badiashile played.

‘I’ve said since we started, for maine determination are not 2 squads. The squad is lone one, the ones who play successful the Premier League tin play successful the Conference League, and those who play successful the Conference League tin play successful the Premier League. The impervious has been against Leicester.’

Asked if Nkunku remains portion of his plans, Maresca said: ‘Absolutely, yes.

‘The occupation with Chris… it’s not a problem, it’s the aforesaid contented and the aforesaid happening we mentioned galore times astir Joao. If you play with Cole [Palmer], if you play with Joao, if you play with Christo, if you play with Noni [Madueke], if you play with Jadon [Sancho]… who is defending?

‘Because their skills are not defending, it’s to attack. We emotion them, we privation them but besides we request balance.

‘The past crippled we tried with Joao and Cole together. Hopefully adjacent crippled oregon soon we tin effort Christo and Cole, Christo and Joao, for sure, and the crushed wherefore is due to the fact that we person truthful galore games.

‘But I wholly privation Christo to enactment with us. I don’t person an thought to let him to spell successful January.

‘Probably the champion infinitesimal from Christo with america has been successful pre-season, that for maine helium was playing successful his presumption arsenic a No.10 betwixt the striker betwixt the lines.

‘Then since we started [the season] he’s playing arsenic a No.9 with us, helium playing against City the archetypal Premier League crippled helium played from the commencement arsenic a winger, knowing it’s not his champion position, we cognize Christo’s champion presumption is betwixt the enactment arsenic a No.10, but Cole is playing there.

‘We are not going to play galore games with Cole and Christo, oregon with Cole and Joao, we played the different time but you request balance.

‘Leicester’s program won’t beryllium the aforesaid arsenic Aston Villa’s plan, oregon possibly yes, we don’t cognize due to the fact that present we are focused connected this game.

‘They are each fantastic players, they are each going to play games, nary doubt. But not each game.’

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