Pep Guardiola has launched a passionate defence of Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and claims his rival isn’t getting the credit he deserves.
The Blues were rocked in midweek when they were beaten 3-1 at relegation haunted Leeds United which saw them fall nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Chelsea had appeared to be riding the crest of a wave having hammered Barcelona in the Champions League and held the Gunners, despite playing with 10 men for an hour, in a pulsating London derby.
The relentless nature of the schedule, however, forced Maresca to make five changes to his team for the trip toElland Road and it proved costly.
A significant setback saw a section of Chelsea fans turn on the manager who steered a young team to Champions League qualification last season and followed that up by masterminding Club World Cup success.
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Guardiola believes his former assistant is doing a superb job at Stamford Bridge and feels a measure of sympathy for any manager who is being forced to cope with the current fixture pileup.
He said: ‘It is not good. When you play better, you run less. But it shows good spirit, that is a good point.
‘Last season when we could have run we didn’t run. Our level was not good and that was all the time.
‘I’m not naive to understand that you have to do better but at the same time I am an incredibly positive and optimistic person and I want to see the good things we have done.
‘Look what happened after Leeds. One of the best managers in the world, Enzo Maresca, I know him quite well but, the job he has done at Chelsea does not get enough credit.
‘Winning the Club World Cup, Conference League, qualification for the Champions League in a league that is so tough with a young team. It is exceptional. And he rotated and look what happened?
‘You are able to win games, games, games and after you lose, lose, lose. It only happens in this league, in this country. It can happen.’
Guardiola, meanwhile, admits Rodri could be ‘a few weeks’ away from returning and accepts it may be next season before he is back to his best.
Yet even so, the Manchester City boss believes the midfielder will still make an enormous difference to his side when he is fit again, just by his mere presence.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner missed most of last season after suffering a serious knee injury and his attempts at a comeback this term have met with repeated frustration.
He has played just one minute in the 11 games since he limped off with a hamstring injury in City’s victory at Brentford on October 5.
The Spain international has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Sunderland and not only does he look set to miss next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid, but several more games as his return is carefully managed.
Guardiola said: ‘He’s a bit more careful after what happened with the previous ones, when he stepped back. We have to be more cautious to make sure it is safe.
‘It’s not a step back. The process of recovery is doing well. He starts to make training sessions on the pitch already. So, hopefully, in a few weeks, he can start to be with us.
‘I want desperately for him to come back – in Madrid and the next ones – but then not six more weeks out. It makes no sense. I want to be sure.
‘In some moments he’s sad – I would not be happy if he’s not sad or concerned – but I said, ‘It’s the last step, you’re on the verge of coming back, don’t make one step forward to make 1,000 steps backwards’.
‘He has a World Cup and next season, then the next season and the next season. As much we recover him, it will not be for now, it will be for the end of the season and next season. That is the main thing.’
Chelsea face a tough test on the road this afternoon when they take on Bournemouth in Premier League action.
Talk of a title challenge at Stamford Bridge heightened after last weekend’s draw with Arsenal but was extinguished somewhat after a woeful defeat to Leeds United midweek.
Moises Caicedo was absent that night and will miss today’s game at the Vitality Stadium and the visit of Everton next week as a result of the red card he picked up in the game against the Gunners.
Andrey Santos was drafted into replace him against Leeds on Wednesday but struggled to fill the void on a night where Maresca made five changes in total.
Reece James, excellent in midfield against Arsenal, was rested with his game time still being managed after his well-documented injury issues with Wesley Fofana also left out.
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The duo will be expected to return to the starting XI today with Cole Palmer also hoping to start just his third league game of the season.
The England international has struggled with a chronic groin injury with a stubbed toe delaying his return after the international break. Palmer came off the bench against Leeds with Maresca desperate to get him back up to full fitness as quickly as possible.
Should Palmer return in the no10 role, it leaves Maresca with a decision up top with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro vying for that no9 role.
Tosin Adarabioyo was most responsible for that calamitous third Leeds goal and could perhaps make away for Fofana.
Maresca has no fresh injuries with Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and long-term absentee Levi Colwill still unavailable. But more rotation is expected today.
James will surely return to the side, whether at right-back or in midfield.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea kicks off today (Saturday 6 December) at 3pm. Given that kick-off time, it is not being televised in the UK.
Luckily, you can follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE blog.