Chelsea boss insists goal-shy forward ‘not a problem’

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insists that Joao Pedro is “not a problem” despite a recent lack of goals as they prepare to take on Wolves.

The two clubs play in the fourth round of the League Cup at Molineux on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm BST.

The Blues are hoping to bounce back from a shock defeat to Sunderland in the Premier League last weekend by securing a place in the quarter-finals.

“Absolutely. It is three games from the final, so we need to have the desire to play for that. We need to go game by game. Hopefully winning the game we can think about the next one,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference.

Asked if Chelsea are more suited to performing well in cup competitions, Maresca added: “I don’t know. I try to focus game by game no matter the competition and try to go as far as we can. All the competitions are important for Chelsea .”

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Joao Pedro enjoyed a bright start at Chelsea following his £60 million move from Brighton in the summer, but has failed to score or assist in his last seven outings.

Maresca suggested the Brazilian was not fully fit at the moment while arguing that he was not signed to be a pure goal scorer for the team.

“For sure, the physical part is important,” he said. “When you are not 100 per cent, it is difficult to compete. Joao is not a problem.

“He is going to score goals and give us assists. He is not going to score 20 goals a year. He’s a different profile.”

– Saturday, 25 October 2025

Former Wolves star Pedro Neto , meanwhile, has been in top form lately, registering three goal involvements in his last two Premier League appearances.

“He’s top, very humble and working hard,” Maresca added. “He’s a very important player for us. We are very happy.”

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