Chelsea’s Maresca on Palmer injury blow and Forest test (Full Presser)

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on the crushing news for Blues fans that Cole Palmer is out for at least 6 more weeks ahead of their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest Cobham, London, UK

Transcript

00:00Good morning.

00:01Good morning.

00:07Good morning.

00:15Okay.

00:17Good morning.

00:18Thank you for joining us.

00:19We will take the usual format today,

00:23beginning with a broadcast section and Sky Sports News.

00:27So, Gail Davis, away you go.

00:30Okay.

00:31Theresa, a bit of an injury roll call after a couple of weeks away.

00:35Can you just give us the latest, particularly on Cold Farmer,

00:38who said you hoped you might be available after the international break.

00:42That was what we were doing, respect to you.

00:44Is he, and if not, when might he be?

00:47I was wrong.

00:50Unfortunately, he needs to be out probably six more weeks.

00:55So, yeah, this is the update.

00:59When I spoke to you in a few weeks, he said he wouldn't require any sort of surgery.

01:03Is that still the case?

01:04Yes, absolutely.

01:06We try just to protect Cole as much as we can.

01:11And the most important thing is that when he comes back, he's fully fit.

01:15And are you confident that that extra period of rest that you've got to the bottom of what the problem is?

01:22Because you don't reveal it six weeks' time saying that you're going to be game.

01:26Are you confident that that would give you a trick this time?

01:28Yeah, but unfortunately the medical staff, they are no magician.

01:32You never know that.

01:33Probably you need six weeks.

01:35We hope that six weeks, they are enough.

01:38But it's a problem that we need to see step by step, week after week.

01:44But for sure, he's going to be okay.

01:46And how is it?

01:48Because he's been hugely frustrated.

01:50He wants to be a big season in Chelsea, wants to go to the World Cup group.

01:54No, he looks very good, to be honest.

01:57He looks relaxed.

01:59He's tried to recover from the injury.

02:02He's doing all the therapy that he needs to do.

02:05So, he looks good.

02:07And who else is out?

02:10Who else is in?

02:11If you miss, obviously, the internationals, is it who you hope to have back this week?

02:16Yeah, we have, anyway, we have Levi, Liam, that they are still out.

02:23Unfortunately, Benoit will be out until December.

02:27Injury again.

02:28And a muscle problem.

02:31He was doing fantastic.

02:33He showed how good he is.

02:34He showed how we need him.

02:35And we're going to wait for him.

02:39And then we have Moy, Enzo, Pedro, that they didn't take part of the session yesterday.

02:47And we see if they can train today.

02:50Otherwise, they're going to be out for tomorrow.

02:53And Riz?

02:54Riz is fully fit.

02:58Riz is okay.

02:59Wow.

03:00Okay.

03:01Let's take you back.

03:02Maybe a little bit of a long time ago.

03:04At that moment, a few weeks ago, when you went herring off down the topside and celebrated.

03:10And we obviously get to speak to you afterwards.

03:13Because you've got this down to the top.

03:16Can you give us a sense of what that felt like?

03:20And how big the moment did you take part of the game today?

03:23It was a big moment for many reasons.

03:28The first reason is because since I joined the club, we never won a game at home in the last minute.

03:35So that was one of the reasons why.

03:38The other reason is because we were playing against, in this moment, the champion of England.

03:44They won the last Premier League.

03:47So it was an important moment for sure.

03:51For me personally, it was just a reaction.

03:54Just a, I don't know, a passion moment.

03:56Just a normal reaction.

03:57And, yeah, that's all.

04:01And obviously you get to know that a bit you did again, didn't you?

04:04For that moment, for really being that moment.

04:07It was, again, it was a nice moment.

04:10The last season, I was banned for one game for the accumulation of yellow card.

04:16But, again, the last one was against Fulham away, where we won a game in the last minute.

04:23So I think it's part of our job, the moment, the passion, the reaction.

04:29And I think it's also nice for everyone, for the fans, for the stadium.

04:36So it's just a reaction.

04:39Thanks, Gayle.

04:40Soraya?

04:41Good morning.

04:42Last season, do you remember when people were talking about substitutes?

04:45They were saying sometimes you make them too late.

04:47And you said, you only talk about that if you lose.

04:49If you win, no one talks about the times of yourself.

04:53I want to talk about how Forrest have conceded more than half of their goals after the 75th minute.

04:58Do you stats like that when you come up against a team, you've had a lot of time to press the door and you like to watch,

05:03come into a consideration when you're thinking about your game plan?

05:06And how far ahead do you think about substitutes?

05:08Or is that always really in a way?

05:11Yeah, no.

05:11When we analyze a team, we try to consider everything.

05:14But also you have to go match by match and understand why they conceded a goal, in which moment.

05:20You know, it's always different.

05:23For sure, with international break, we watch all the games with Angie in charge.

05:31And in terms of, yeah, make change, I think it's something that sometimes you plan, but also depends how is the game.

05:38You can do more changes or less.

05:41I think especially now with the amount of games that we have from now on, we need to think about change,

05:48not only during the game, but also in terms of start 11.

05:50This season, you've got a good sort of balance.

05:53You've got seven goals scored from open play, five from set-piece, one penalty.

05:58When it comes to that set-piece planning to get more goals, how have you worked around that or prepped that in training?

06:05Because obviously, defenders normally take the bulk of that and you've had to rotate that a lot.

06:09Is it something that now you're working on a lot more with your attackers?

06:13I mean, a lot of managers talk about changing or height in the squad, loads of different reasons.

06:18What do you think this Chelsea squad can do to get more set-piece goals?

06:23Since I joined the club, Bernardo is the one that is in charge for set-pieces.

06:28And since last season, until today, we didn't change nothing.

06:32We are working the same way.

06:34We spend time about set-pieces, like a normal club.

06:40But it's something that, as you said, you can score, you can concede, depends a little bit.

06:45But for sure, I think overall, between the goal we score and the goal we concede, we are doing quite well.

06:53Your team has completed the second most progressive passes per 90 minutes in this league.

06:59But you are mid-table for successful three balls.

07:02Do you think the team can be a little bit more creative in cold absence when it comes to taking that risk

07:07and passing the ball through defensive lines?

07:10Do you think you can do more of that?

07:11Obviously, Levi, he did it from centre-back a lot.

07:15Are there more players that can take that responsibility in taking that risk?

07:19For sure, we lost two players in this moment.

07:22For us, last season, they have been main players in terms of build-up.

07:26And when we talk about build-up, we talk also about breaking lines.

07:29Levi, for us, was the main one from behind.

07:33Cole was the main one in the middle of the pitch.

07:35But I think we are trying to find different solutions with the players that we are in this moment,

07:41that we are available.

07:42Thanks, Soraya.

07:43Nizar?

07:43Who do you think could step up in Cole Palmer's absence?

07:46Who can replace him?

07:47How do you replace those goals and the sort of assists that you provide?

07:51First of all, to replace Cole, it's difficult.

07:57Because Cole is a very important player for us.

08:03Probably one of the best players in the Premier League.

08:05So to replace that kind of player, it's always difficult.

08:08But I think the ones that we have, depends on the game plan.

08:12In Cole position against Liverpool was Malagusto.

08:16So it depends.

08:17The previous game against Benfica, I think it was Facundo.

08:20So it depends a little bit on the game plan we have.

08:22For sure, we need to find a different solution.

08:24We need to find a different skill.

08:26Because we don't have another player like Cole.

08:29Because Cole is unique.

08:33Could I ask you a little bit about the international break?

08:37Was it kind of a positive period apart from the Cole situation?

08:40And getting players rested and things like that.

08:42Because against Liverpool, it felt like you kind of put everyone on the pitch.

08:46And it was like a very tired squad.

08:48Was it a good period of two weeks?

08:50Or is it a bit negative?

08:52Because some players...

08:53No, it's a good one.

08:54Because Tosin is back.

08:55Because Fofana is back.

08:58Andres Santos is back.

08:59But at the same time, we have, unfortunately, Enzo doubt, Moï doubt, Pedro doubt.

09:04So it's a little bit balanced.

09:06But again, we're going to try our best to find the right solution for the next games.

09:12Okay, if there's no more questions, we'll end that section there.

09:16Cameras off, please.

09:17Cameras off, please.

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