Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest.
Hi Enzo, first question about Cole Palmer—will he return after the November international break?
I was wrong about Palmer. Unfortunately, he will have to rest for another six weeks.
You said Palmer wouldn’t need surgery—do you still stand by that judgment?
Yes, we are doing our best to protect Cole. The most important thing is that he comes back fully fit.
But do you think he can recover without surgery?
Of course. First of all, our medical staff aren’t magicians. We hope six weeks will be enough. We need to monitor his progress step by step. He’ll definitely be fine.
Is he feeling frustrated, and what will the team do?
He seems relaxed. He’s been working hard on his recovery and completing all his treatments. We believe he can make a good comeback—that’s what we think.
Any other injury updates?
Levi [Colwill] and Liam are still unavailable. Unfortunately, Benoît Badiashile will be out until December due to a muscle issue. We’ll wait for him.
Moi [Kovačić], Enzo [Fernández] and Pedro Neto didn’t train yesterday. We’ll see if they can train today.
How about Reece James?
Reece is fine—he’s fully recovered.
A question about the winning goal against Liverpool: do you think the red card was worth it?
It was an important moment for many reasons. Since I joined the club, we’ve never had a winning goal like that at home.
What’s more, the opponent was the defending Premier League champions—they’re excellent. It was undoubtedly a crucial moment. Personally, my reaction at that time was normal.
Last season, fans said you made substitutions too late, and you had your say on that. For the game against Forest, given they often concede goals after the 70th minute, how will you approach substitutions, and what’s your thinking on rotation and substitutions for the rest of the season?
Every game is different, so the plan varies. During the international break, we watched every recent match Ange Postecoglou has managed, especially those with Forest. Adjustments are usually planned, but sometimes depend on the game itself.
We have our ideas, so we won’t make them public.
Chelsea’s attacking lineup has changed a lot, including setting up a set-piece unit. Why do you think set-piece goals have surged this season?
Bernardo has been in charge of set pieces since I joined the club. We haven’t changed anything—our working method remains the same. We spend time practicing set pieces.
You can score goals and concede them; I don’t think we’ve changed much. It somewhat depends on the circumstances of different games. We’ve been doing quite well in this area .
With Palmer absent and Colwill sidelined with a serious injury, do you think Chelsea can take more risks to play through balls and create more chances?
Second question: how does Chelsea replace Palmer, and did the team rest well during the international break?
First, it’s hard to find a replacement for Cole. He’s extremely important to us—one of the best players in the league. Against Liverpool, Malo Gusto came on in his position.
Against Benfica, Facundo Buonanotte was the one actually playing in the No. 10 role. It depends on our game plan. We don’t have a player like Cole—he’s unique.
As for the international break, it was a good period.
Tosin [Adarabioyo] is back. Wesley [Fofana] is back. Andrey Santos is back too. Enzo, Moises [Caicedo] and Pedro were more or less not involved in the international break. We’ll try to find the best solution for the upcoming games .
