Enzo Maresca reveals Joao Pedro 'not fully fit' as Chelsea brace for Champions League opener

The Italian was forced to ring the changes after his players’ international obligations complicated selection

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Enzo Maresca has revealed he started Joao Pedro against Brentford despite the striker telling him he was not 100 per cent fit.

Maresca rang the changes at the Gtech Community Stadium as a response to some players’ heavy workloads during the international break.

Joao Pedro led the line despite his involvement for Brazil, assisting substitute Cole Palmer’s equaliser before being replaced in the 80th minute by debutant Alejandro Garnacho.

Maresca was asked whether his team selection and Chelsea’s sluggish first-half tempo could be partly explained by the fact they face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in their Champions League group-stage opener on Wednesday night.

But the Chelsea manager insisted he had taken Brentford seriously with his approach to the game.

“Joao Pedro, before the game, told me that he was not fit 100 per cent, better [that he] doesn't play,” Maresca said.

“So if I was thinking about Bayern Munich, Joao would be on the bench. But Joao played because the focus was about tonight. But for sure, when you have so many games, you have to plan a different option.

“For instance, Reece James played two games with the international team . So play tonight and thinking on Wednesday. So it's not, our focus was about tonight.

“And the reason why is because if this season we play Champions League, it's because we did well in the Premier League. And if we want to play again Champions League next season, we need to do well in the Premier League.”

Maresca also insisted Chelsea had done enough to win the game despite being held to a draw.

“I think so, yeah,” he said.

“In the second half, we scored twice. We could have scored two or three more goals. So I think we did enough. Unfortunately, we lost two points just in the last two or three minutes.”