Chelsea’s hierarchy remain fully behind Enzo Maresca’s rotation and recruitment strategy despite the 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Italian made seven changes to his starting lineup for the trip to Baku, a decision that drew scrutiny after the result. However, club officials view his approach as a necessary long-term plan to protect player fitness across a congested season.
With injuries to key players such as Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Benoît Badiashile, and several others — including Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández — carrying knocks, Maresca opted to rotate heavily. His plan was disrupted early when Roméo Lavia went off injured after eight minutes, forcing Caicedo into action.
Chelsea’s leadership believe Maresca is managing his squad responsibly, rather than taking risks. The club’s internal view is that young and fringe players must gain experience to adapt to the manager’s tactical demands.
The demanding travel schedule — a 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan and a quick turnaround before facing Wolves on Saturday — further justified the changes.
Although several youngsters, including Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Jamie Gittens, struggled before being substituted at half-time, Chelsea see such matches as vital for their development.
Sources insist Maresca’s methods are in line with Chelsea’s long-term vision and that short-term results will not alter the club’s backing. The approach has already helped maintain Reece James’s fitness and is being applied to players like Wesley Fofana and Lavia.
While results have varied when Maresca rotates, the club remains confident his strategy will pay off later in the season when player freshness becomes crucial.
