Enzo Maresca response after being accused of 'getting it wrong' at Chelsea

Enzo Maresca during Brentford vs Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has defended his decision to use Wesley Fofana at right-back in Saturday’s draw with Brentford. French centre-back Fofana lasted just 45 minutes in the unfamiliar position, with Reece James brought on as part of a half-time triple change.

Maresca drew criticism from pundit Jamie Redknapp, who accused the Italian of ‘getting it wrong’. However, with a busy programme of football up ahead across multiple competitions, Maresca insisted he needs to manage his players’ minutes.

“For a player who has been out injured so long [Fofana], to go and ask a player to go and play right-back, especially a place where it’s fast and furious like Brentford,” Redknapp said during Sky Sports’ coverage. “He got it wrong in the first half, and he gave himself a problem, he didn’t pick the right team.”

The half-time changes seemed to do the trick, with another second-half introduction, Cole Palmer, equalising. Moises Caicedo blasted home from the edge of the box to give Chelsea a late lead, but they couldn’t hold on as Fabio Carvalho came off the Brentford bench to equalise in stoppage time.

Chelsea have another tricky away test on the horizon, with Bayern Munich providing a very different kind of challenge. This appeared to be a factor in Maresca’s team selection, with the former Leicester boss opening up on his approach after the Brentford draw.

Wesley Fofana during the first half of Brentford vs Chelsea (Image: Offside via Getty Images)

“When you have so many games you have to plan different options,” Maresca said. “For instance, Reece James played two games with his international team, so he played on Saturday and we were thinking about Wednesday.

“So our focus was about Saturday, and the reason why is because if this season we play in the Champions League it is because we did well in the Premier League, and if we want to play in the Champions League again next season then we need to do well in the Premier League.”

Jorrel Hato also got 45 minutes against Brentford (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Maresca also explained it was always the plan to manage Fofana’s minutes as well as those of Jorrel Hato - another player withdrawn at half-time. It was the former’s first start since Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal in March, though he got a late run-out from the bench against West Ham in August.

‘We planned 45 minutes for Wes because he was a long time out,” Maresca said. “We planned not all the game for Jorrel, because I’ve said many times that when you’ve just arrived from another country you need time to adapt.”