Chelsea are on a really strong run and the questions in press conferences before and after games are accordingly positive.
But someone in today’s post-match, following the big win over Brighton, decided to question Enzo Maresca about a player who wasn’t present even on the bench today. Carney Chukwuemeka’s only minutes all season have come in a short cameo against Barrow on Tuesday night.
“I will say exactly the same thing I have said many times: Carney is a very good player, but for the amount of players we have, we decided at the beginning of the season it is probably better to leave and go somewhere, prove himself and playing 30 or 35 games than being here and play less games,” Maresca responded.
“Unfortunately that didn’t happen. He is our player. He had some minutes the other day, today he was not involved. Hopefully we can give him more minutes.”
Even those Carabao Cup minutes are going to be hard to come by – Cesare Casadei moved ahead of him in the pecking order, and Romeo Lavia is fit now too.
Chukwuemeka damned long before season began
It was a slightly odd time to ask the question, as Maresca pointed out, he’s addressed this a few times before. We all know why Carney Chukwuemeka isn’t in the squad – because more money was spent on Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Even Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall can’t get into the squad at the moment, so Chukwuemeka will have no chance.
It’s a brutal pity he didn’t get a move – but nobody can say they’re surprised he’s not featuring this season. Hopefully something can be sorted out in January – otherwise a third season with little progress for the former Aston Villa man is going to pass by.
