Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has ignored a potential “problem” with Jadon Sancho, who starts for the Premier League giants against West Ham United.
One of the shock transfers in the summer saw Sancho leave Manchester United and join Premier League rivals Chelsea on loan. He is set to join the Blues permanently next year as this deal includes an obligation to buy clause, which is understood to be worth between £20-25m.
Sancho failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford following his £73m move to Man Utd from Borussia Dortmund, but he shone while on loan at the Bundesliga club last season and impressed for Chelsea last week.
The England international made his Chelsea debut last week and he grabbed an assist as Maresca’s side beat Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth 1-0.
Chelsea travel to face London rivals West Ham United in the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon and Sancho has been named in Maresca’s starting XI.
Sancho is not the only Chelsea debut making his full Premier League debut on Saturday, as fellow summer signing Tosin Adarabioyo also starts. Maresca has made three changes as Enzo Fernandez is back in the team.
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Chelsea’s XI v West Ham: Sanchez, Fofana, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson.
West Ham’s XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Paqueta, Summerville, Bowen, Kudus.
Maresca has started Sancho despite claims that it could be a “problem” that he “looks passionate and motivated”.
“If a player comes and doesn’t look motivated or passionate, it’s a problem. Now a player comes and looks passionate and motivated, it’s a problem? It’s not a problem,” Maresca said.
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“It just shows his desire. I don’t think there was any kind of discipline problem in that game. Jadon showed what we expected from him.
“Not only in that 45 minutes, but also in the day by day, the way he is working, it’s fantastic. Hopefully it can continue in that way.”
Speaking before kick-off, Maresca revealed Ben Chilwell’s “situation has changed”, but the defender is not included in Chelsea’s squad to face West Ham.
Maresca said: “Ben is one of the guys who was ready to leave, but he’s here and he’s training with us. He’s training well.
“He’s our player. The situation with him was very clear, but now the situation has changed a little bit. Game after game we are going to consider in case we are going to use him.”
