Chelsea

Enzo Maresca says Estevao is going to be as important for Chelsea in the future as Lamine Yamal is for Barcelona now.

More to follow.

Chelsea

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on coaching in Spain in the future:

"You know me because you are in my press conference. When you ask me what happens in three or four months, I don't know. In this moment, I am very happy to be in this huge club, one of the best clubs in the world, and this is the most important thing."

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on facing Barcelona:

"As a player, it was an important moment (scoring in the Super Cup final against Barcelona). I always said that was the easy goal in my life, as we were winning 2-0 and the penalty was in the 96th minute. That was an easy one, nice feeling.

"Now it is completely different. They are an unbelievable team, but we are going to try our best to win the game."

Chelsea

Enzo Maresca was asked if Robert Lewandowski was still Barcelona's key weapon.

He said he was a fantastic player but one of many Barca have at their disposal, listing the likes of Lamine Yamal.

Maresca said they would need the right balance between attack and defence, and in midfield, to stop the Barca press and cut down their creative options.

More to follow.

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on facing Barcelona and Arsenal in a week:

"It's a big week, but at the end of this week, then we have Leeds away, Bournemouth away, Atalanta away, so it's another big week. It's always a big week, they are all important games, but at the end, it's all three points.

"There are games like Barcelona tomorrow and Arsenal on Sunday that are important for different reasons. But the best thing for us is to go game by game."

Chelsea

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described Barcelona as an unbelievable team, but said they would be trying their best to win the game on Tuesday.

More to follow.

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca delivered team news ahead of Barcelona's visit:

"We don't know when, but for sure it will be soon (on Cole Palmer training). He is already on the pitch, already touching the ball, and the feeling is good.

"I don't think so at the moment (on Palmer facing Arsenal).

"Last time I spoke with Cole was yesterday after the session to ask how he was feeling, but I didn't ask him details about the injury."

Chelsea

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Cole Palmer has told him he was "feeling good" but did not ask him specifically about the injury.

He also described this as a "big week", with Arsenal coming up in the Premier League after Barcelona.

More to follow.

Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca kicked off with a question on Cole Palmer. He says he is already on the pitch, touching the ball, but does not know when he will be available after fracturing his toe.

More to follow.

Remember you can watch this news conference live - at the top of this page

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

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Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos says his display against Burnley was his best Premier League performance for the club ahead of a crucial week.

The 21-year-old completed his first full 90 minutes in the competition during Saturday's 2-0 win at Turf Moor.

Previously, Santos had been substituted at half-time and after 54 minutes in his other two league starts.

Asked about his performance — in which he was named man of the match while playing a deep midfield role as Moises Caicedo was rested — Santos said: "Yes, of course, I think today is my best performance.

"I think the adaptation is a little bit hard because the Premier League is the toughest championship in the world.

"But now my teammates have helped me a lot. I'm so happy to be here in the Premier League."

Chelsea moved up to second in the Premier League ahead of a week that sees them face Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by Arsenal in the league next Sunday.

Santos added: "Yes, of course. When you talk about the Champions League, it's always amazing. I always dream of these big games. Now we have Barcelona, and we hope we are ready to fight and try to win the game.

"Barcelona first and then Arsenal. It's a great week. We are Chelsea — we work hard and want to win every game."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Chelsea normally hold their major news conferences for big Champions League matches at Stamford Bridge rather than at the training ground.

There is no doubt that Chelsea’s home supporters were most excited about drawing Barcelona – a team with whom they have built a rivalry – on their return to the Champions League this season.

Barcelona are also the club who inspired Maresca to go into management, after he was blown away by facing a Pep Guardiola-led side while playing for Sevilla in Spain’s top flight.

The tiki-taka style that Guardiola pioneered is one whose legacy Maresca is continuing today.

It will be interesting to hear Maresca retell those stories, discuss Cole Palmer’s fitness situation, and perhaps assess where Estevao Willian is in comparison with visiting teenage superstar Lamine Yamal.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

After the double-header against Barcelona and Arsenal, Chelsea’s schedule shifts to three consecutive away games – at Leeds, Bournemouth and Atalanta.

All three clubs have had dips in form of late so, on paper at least, this is a stretch where Chelsea could try to build some momentum.

But with European travel and squad rotation to juggle, it becomes a quiet test of the squad’s depth and mentality.

Chelsea's travels in early December:

• 03 Dec: Leeds (A)
• 06 Dec: Bournemouth (A)
• 09 Dec: Atalanta (A)

Here's a reminder that you can watch Chelsea (12:00) and Manchester City's (12:30) Champions League news conferences this lunchtime.

We know that Marc Cucurella is joining Enzo Maresca for Chelsea's news conference, while City are putting up Josko Gvardiol, along with Pep Guardiola.

Just click on the 'watch & listen' tab at the top of this page to follow.

We will also bring you the top lines in our live text coverage.

Image source, Getty Images

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

Chelsea’s rise to second comes just in time for one of the toughest and possibly defining stretches of their season.

They host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday, a fixture that will test how far Enzo Maresca’s side have come in terms of control, intensity and game management.

Three days after Barcelona, Chelsea welcome Premier League leaders Arsenal in what already feels like a statement game.

Maresca’s side sits six points behind Mikel Arteta’s team, and victory would pull them firmly into the title conversation.

With Chelsea’s defensive record sharpening and Arsenal in ruthless form, it has the makings of one of the weekend’s standout fixtures.

Chelsea's next two fixtures:

• 25 Nov: Barcelona (H)
• 30 Nov: Arsenal (H)

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