Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has broken his silence on why Joao Felix has fallen down the pecking order in his Chelsea squad, MySportDab reports.
The £44.5million 2024 summer arrival from Atletico Madrid has seen his rating dropped drastically in Maresca’s scheme of things with the Blues.
He has struggled for game time, managing 12 Premier League appearances with a goal and an assist.
Speaking on why the Portuguese attacking midfielder has not break even into first-team lineup since joining from La Liga, Maresca revealed it is not about the quality of the player but a tactical challenge from his end.
Clarifying further, he said Felix is a ‘top player’ and remains key to his squad but the challenge has been playing him in the midfield when he (Maresca) only opts for a one attacking midfielder in his squad and Cole Palmer perfectly fits into his profile.
Maresca further revealed the same applies to Christopher Nkunku, who is also struggling for minutes in the squad.
“The problem for João and Christopher Nkunku is the manager plays most of the games with one attacking midfielder, Palmer”.
“They struggle to get minutes, not for any different reasons. They are top players,” Fabrizio Romano quotes.
Felix and Nkunku have been used more as second-options for Maresca’s squad in peripheral competitions such as UEFA Conference League and the EFL Cup.
The pair have fallen down the pecking order with Maresca opting for Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo midfield combo, with Romeo Lavia occasionally coming into the scene when he is available.
At the time of filing this report, Nkunku, who joined from RB Leipzig since 2022 summer, is pushing for a return to the Bundesliga and has agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich.
Joao Felix joined recently from Atletico Madrid and will be hoping to beat the deadlock and work his way to Maresca’s first-choice midfield options.
