Chelsea

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Chelsea is a "demanding club" and players need to "fight until the end" to earn their place in the team, says boss Enzo Maresca.

With a much-changed starting XI, the Italian earned his first win as the Blues' head coach against Servette in the Conference League play-off first leg on Thursday.

Maresca said before the match that he is only working with 21 to 22 players in training, with a number of high-profile names excluded from the sizeable squad.

"I judge the first XI. It depends how they work every day for all of them. If they are bad in training sessions and they do not train with intensity, they are not going to play," he said in his pre-Wolves news conference.

"If they do not play Sunday in the Premier League and they think they are going to play Thursday, but if from Sunday to Thursday they do not train well, then they are not going to play Premier League and they are not going to play Thursday.

"Chelsea is a demanding club. You need to work hard, to fight until the end to get your place and be 100%.

"If you think I am going to give you a chance without working hard, forget about that. The first XI [against Servette] was this, against Manchester City was that one. We will see for the next game."

Chelsea have been one of the busier Premier League clubs during the summer transfer window, and Maresca is content with the squad he has with a week remaining until deadline day.

"It is better if we do not sign - because we do not need to sign players just to sign players," he added. "If we sign players and they help us to improve, then for sure we need players. Otherwise, we are happy with the way we are."

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says new signing Joao Felix is physically "ready" to play against Wolves on Sunday.

The forward rejoined the club on Wednesday from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year deal for a fee in the region of £45m.

It is the 24-year-old's second spell at Stamford Bridge, having scored four goals in 20 appearances during a loan spell in 2023.

"In terms of knowing the way we want to play? Probably not yet," Maresca said in his pre-match news conference when asked if Felix was ready.

"In terms of physicality? I think he is ready because he was already playing games there [at Atletico Madrid]. He needs more time to understand the way we want to play but overall I think he can play.

"For me, he can do that [number nine role] fantastically - dropping in and giving us an extra man when we need more passes, more possession. Then, to find the right moment to attack, he can do that very well.

"He can play as an attacking midfielder, if we need, he can play also outside. He can play in different positions."

Felix will be hoping for a better start to life with the Blues than in his first spell - he was sent off less than an hour into his debut against Fulham.

Asked about the importance of the Portugal international remaining disciplined, Maresca added: "I think he is mature enough to understand what he has to do and hopefully he has learned from his mistake in the past and he can do better.

"He is a top player, no doubt. I have known Joao for many, many years. Now, working with him day-by-day, I will know him even better.

"Overall, I think he is a player that is going to help us."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter at Stamford Bridge

Image source, Reuters

There is a strange atmosphere at the start of Enzo Maresca's Chelsea reign as some supporters booed their team off at half-time against Servette at Stamford Bridge.

It was far from the full stadium but it was a sizeable and audible minority who also jeered the team in a marginally improved second half when midfielder Moises Caicedo played it back to goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Chelsea fans already look like they may emulate sections of the Leicester City support and be critical of the patient, possession-based tactical approach favoured by the Italian, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.

When asked about the response at the interval, Maresca said: "I can understand but the important thing is to win the game. Clean sheet and we did nine changes."

Of course, the atmosphere is not helped by back-to-back trophyless seasons and continued suspicion in parts of the fanbase of the Boehly-Clearlake ownership.

But the second half also showed the simple way out of it - through winning.

Winning is the one idea that binds this group of regulars in west London and a penalty from Christopher Nkunku and a powerful near-post finish from Noni Madueke saw the team cheered off the pitch.

That is despite a not particularly impressive performance to beat a team that finished third in the Swiss league.

"I think all of them need more time to know the system better. For sure, 100%. But tonight was also not easy for some of them in terms of physical condition," Maresca added.

It is fair for Maresca to call for time while radically overhauling this club's tactical approach to a detailed one akin to the style played by Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

Yet, giving time is not Chelsea's mantra and you have to buy it for yourself by winning.

To beat Wolves on Sunday they will have to improve markedly on Thursday's display.

We asked for your views on Chelsea's 2-0 Conference League play-off first leg win over Swiss side Servette on Thursday.

Here are some of your comments:

Nakul: I thought it was still a performance far away from what the standard of this club should be at. First half was not good enough and clinical enough but eventually we saw out the game. If we play like this in the league we are in trouble, but a win is a win.

Matthew: Good performance. Some worrying moments in the first half, but we did improve in the second half. I hope Marc Guiu's miss doesn't destroy his confidence as he did well before he came off. Great to see Nkunku and Madueke (he can't be sold) score. I just hope the fans don't turn on Maresca as it was really poor to hear the fans booing. Onto Sunday.

Alan: We won. Just about, no thanks to the defence. If they intend to play out from the back, then the defence needs a big shake-up. As for the team as a whole, if the manager is going to keep changing the team so drastically, how is any player going to fit into a pattern? Despite the win, I still see this season being a disaster.

Bails: It's a risky type of game to play and it's not working. The answer is not to keep buying players, it's just to use what we have. Selling players like Gallagher will not do us any good as he would bring so much. Sterling suits the system but he's been ousted. Kepa could be our number one but no. All the tools but no clue, it feels like.

Richard: Less attempts on target than Servette is not a ringing endorsement. There were multiple changes to the starting line-up and a lot of the players don't know each other too well. Weaknesses exist throughout the team. The defence looks insecure, midfield are not able to impose themselves and lose possession. Deadly striker required still. Who?

Sylvia: Yes a win is a win but this was a very disjointed performance with no sign of the on-the-front-foot possession-based and attacking football which is supposedly Maresca's style. Just lots of backward and sideways passing. Depressing to watch.

Danny: Chaos. Our club is a laughing stock and we have no chance whatsoever of top four in this or next season. Too much money spent on mediocrity and the decision making by the management is appalling. Who had the idea of playing roulette with the captain's armband?

Michael: Bit of a painful watch at times and I don't understand playing without a striker after the subs were brought on. Tosin and Veiga looked ok at the back and good saves from Jorgensen.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter at Stamford Bridge

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Enzo Maresca says Mykhailo Mudryk's moments in the attacking third are "like flipping a coin" and the Chelsea boss wants to help his winger realise his potential at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old played the full 90 minutes of the 2-0 win over Servette on Thursday but missed a huge chance just after half-time and struggled to make an impact.

When asked about the Ukrainian, who was signed from under the noses of Arsenal in a deal which could rise to £88m in add-ons, Maresca said: "This is Mudryk, not only in terms of tonight but also in terms of since he joined the club.

"He had some good moments and then some moments like flipping a coin. You don't know if it's one thing or the other thing.

"We are going to try to help him change. He needs to try to understand that we are going to give him the ball in the last third. And when he's there, [it's about] taking the right decision. For me, most of the mistakes from Misha are not about the quality or the technical mistake - it's about the choice.

"Sometimes he tries to do something different and we lose the ball. Sometimes he has to go one-v-one. It's about decision making. Hopefully we can help him improve that.

"If he can become more consistent, he can take one step forward."

Chelsea earned the first win of Maresca’s reign but conceded 22 shots on goal in a match where the Blues, at times, struggled against the Swiss Cup winners.

“I was a bit worried. In the last 10 minutes, we played a little bit with fire," added Maresca.

"We could have managed the game in a completely different way but I also expected [it] because we are in a moment where we are learning things.

"In the end it was a good thing because we didn't concede and from that we can learn."

The second leg of the Conference League play-off will take place next Thursday in Geneva (kick-off 19:30 BST).

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

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The Conor Gallagher chants were audible. And frequent.

The longer Chelsea's Conference League play-off first leg against Servette remained 0-0, the louder they became - and the more uncomfortable the ownership will surely have felt as a result.

The loss of a homegrown player, adored by match-going fans, is clearly still raw. In the first game since Gallagher's departure to Atletico Madrid, his absence, both on the pitch in midfield and in a wider sense at the club, was felt. And heard.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - the man many supporters see as Gallagher's replacement - did little to ease things with his performance, lacking quality on the ball aside from the pass to create Christopher Nkunku's penalty.

It is not of his own making, but the two will be compared constantly and an uphill start at a club like Chelsea is a situation few players excel in.

There were bright spots. Pedro Neto looked lively and Tosin Adarabioyo looked composed on their full debuts and Nkunku was a threat throughout. Noni Madueke came off the bench to score an excellent second.

Filip Jorgenson in goal, also on debut, was a standout performer - his accomplished display culminating in a fine stop down to his right late on to maintain the Blues' 2-0 advantage.

The less said of Mykhailo Mudryk's performance the better. In a week where Raheem Sterling's services have been rendered redundant it is hard to see how he turns things around. Another shadow one of Chelsea's players must now live in.

Overall, this was a fairly flat showing despite the primary objective being met and Enzo Maresca getting his first win as Blues boss under his belt.

Servette registered 22 attempts to the hosts' 14 and the tie would have an entirely different dynamic should Tiemoko Ouattara late deflected effort had snuck in rather than rattling the crossbar.

The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge was that of a crowd skeptical but ready to latch on to any encouragement thrown their way.

However, not too much encouragement was forthcoming so fans chanted about the elephant in the room. The young man now in Madrid.

Chelsea's Raheem Sterling has been offered to Aston Villa but Unai Emery is not sure if the forward fits into his plans. (Mirror, external)

Sterling was kept in the dark about being frozen out at Stamford Bridge and has ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo said in pre-season he lost confidence because of the pressure of his £115m price tag after joining from Brighton in August 2023.

But will this be the season the Ecuador international comes good?

Caicedo was entrusted with the captain's armband by Enzo Maresca against Servette and led his side to a 2-0 first leg win in the Conference League play-off at Stamford Bridge.

He scored one goal and registered four assists in 48 games in his debut campaign as Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League, with manager Mauricio Pochettino leaving in May.

Caicedo praised a performance coach and his former manager Pochettino for getting him back on the right track after a difficult start to life at Chelsea.

Maresca's decision to make him skipper on Thursday should do Caicedo the power of good.

Chelsea need as many leaders on the pitch as possible and Caicedo could yet prove vital as Maresca negotiates his first season in charge.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Chelsea's performance, external

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies

Read the match report

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Will a move to Chelsea be the catalyst in Joao Felix's career, or is his transfer to Stamford Bridge a bad one? That is the debate that European football experts had on Wednesday's Euro Leagues podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You have to believe that every 24-year-old will live up to expectations, especially someone who has the talent that he does," said Mina Rzouki.

"The only issue is whether you can see him doing it at Chelsea. That is the overhanging question mark and I don't think he can.

"One of the reasons that we hail players like Jude Bellingham is because of how they have managed their career and the choices they have made. Felix has chosen a club that have no rhythm and no rhyme. It is hard to understand what Chelsea are trying to achieve and you do not know if you will be selected to play or if you will be a fringe player."

Julien Laurens added: "There was no other club that wanted him this summer and Chelsea only came in for him because of Conor Gallagher. Otherwise he would still be at Atletico and not playing because he has fallen out with Diego Simeone.

"If this move does not work and he does not play then no one will come in for him in January or next summer. It would then become a waste of an incredible talent.

"They have to find him the right position and play him, but then you are still at the mercy of him being consistent, which he has not been for years now.

"This move is so important for him, because if it does not go right then I do not know what will be next for him."

Listen to the Euro Leagues podcast on BBC Sounds

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BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about Chelsea's sale of academy players in the transfer window.

He said: "Chelsea are quite defensive about this and they say that all Premier League clubs are doing this to an extent and that is true. Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City have been selling academy players to help buy players. It helps to balance the books in the way that football accounting works.

"Chelsea have been particularly aggressive in this space, and Conor Gallagher was one of those. I think that's why Chelsea were so keen to go through with this deal, because he was in the last year of his deal.

"The difference with Chelsea is that they've spent so much money and this is because they've sold so many academy players.

"It's got to the point where they can't even adhere to Uefa rules for the upcoming Conference League competition because they don't have enough academy players available. This is staggering because in football circles, Man City and Chelsea are considered to have the two best academies in English football."

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European football expert Archie Rhind-Tutt says Atletico Madrid have the better end of the Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix deal because Diego Simeone gains a player that suits his style.

Midfielder Gallagher has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish top-flight club, while Felix has signed a seven-year deal to begin a second spell at Stamford Bridge.

"It is difficult to argue that Atletico haven't really won this deal," Rhind-Tutt said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast.

"They paid a lot of money for Felix so they have done well to at least get a fee - especially as Felix is a player who has been accused of not having the best mentality.

"Gallagher fits into the way they play, and in the process they have got rid of someone who was a problem case for them.

"If you are a Chelsea fan then surely you are looking at this and thinking: 'How have we lost again on another deal?'

"But also, what players are thinking that Chelsea looks like a good place to go right now? I scratch my head and wonder who is advising these players."

Julien Laurens added: "This deal happened for purely financial reasons because all of Gallagher's sale goes into Chelsea's pocket and they can spread the cost of Felix.

"But a year ago Felix was a Chelsea player and he was not very good, so why would you go after him again? It was to make sure the Gallagher deal happened."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Ben Chilwell by Chelsea after the left-back was told he does not feature in boss Enzo Maresca's plans. (Talksport), external

Napoli director Giovanni Manna has returned to England to continue transfer talks for Blues striker Romelu Lukaku. (Gianluca di Marzio - in Italian), external

Forward Raheem Sterling wants to remain in the Premier League after being told he has no future at Stamford Bridge. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Joao Felix's introduction to life at Chelsea in January 2023 was symbolic of the state of the club - chaotic.

After arriving on a £9.7m half-season loan from Atletico Madrid, Felix dazzled for the first 58 minutes of his debut. He glided past defenders, looking every inch the player Atletico spent £113m on in 2019. Then he was sent off for a shocking lunge on Fulham's Kenny Tete and Chelsea lost 2-1.

The resulting suspension ruled Felix out for three of the 21 Premier League games that would occur during his loan spell. Already one of the most expensive loan deals of all time, social media users were quick to highlight the financial repercussions of the red card and ensuing ban.

On his return, Felix impressed and scored in a 1-1 draw at West Ham. Then came limp defeats by Southampton and Tottenham in which Chelsea drew blanks, mounting pressure on manager Graham Potter.

A narrow 1-0 win over Leeds and a 3-1 victory at Leicester gave the former Brighton boss a stay of execution. Felix showed glimpses, hitting the woodwork in both, but was substituted at half-time against the Foxes.

His first Stamford Bridge goal came a week later against Everton in another performance that began sharply but petered out. Chelsea conceded late to draw the game 2-2, and after a 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in their next outing Potter was dismissed.

Frank Lampard was bought in to take temporary charge and, amid the mess, results fell off a cliff.

Perhaps appropriately, Felix's finest moment came in one of Chelsea's lowest. His excellent solo goal in the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United in the penultimate game of the season showed what he is all about - gliding across the pitch with the ball before unleashing a cultured finish into the bottom corner.

In terms of chaos at Chelsea, not much has changed on Felix's return.

The squad is bloated, the plan is unclear and the transfer policy still appears scattergun.

However, Felix is a player of genuine standout quality with an extremely high ceiling. After showing glimpses in loans at Chelsea and Barcelona, perhaps he just does not fully know who he is as a player and where he belongs yet.

Chelsea fans have genuine reason to be excited. As long as they avoid thinking about where he will fit in.

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New signing Joao Felix has said "there is no better place for me to be than Chelsea" following the completion of his transfer to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to club media, external the Portugal international said he sees the club as a "perfect place to shine".

He said: "It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back; the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I'm really happy to be back."

Felix, who was previously on loan at Chelsea, continued: "I've developed as a player in a lot of ways; the perception of the game and the spaces the ball can arrive easily where I can make more impact, I try to figure it out by watching some videos of me of my games.

"I've kind of changed since I was last here. I'm 24 now. I feel like I grew up as a player. That's normal with age. I'm more prepared for the Premier League.

"I feel like my best years are ahead of me. I have no doubt about that. The best years are still to come. And this year is going to be a good year, because now I am permanently at home, and I can enjoy home."

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Chelsea have announced that Pedro Neto will change his shirt number from 19 to seven - which was previously worn by Raheem Sterling - for the remainder of the season.

Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed earlier on Wednesday that Sterling and Ben Chilwell are both training away from Chelsea's first-team squad.

Neto, who signed from Wolves earlier this month, wore the number 19 in Chelsea's loss to Manchester City on Sunday.

New signing Joao Felix will wear the number 14 - and the club have said numbers are subject to change up until the end of the transfer window.

Ross Mooring
Fan writer

The sorry saga of Conor Gallagher's time at Chelsea since the takeover of 2022 has come to an end - with his move to Atletico Madrid finally sealed.

Beyond the debate over selling a player - who outperformed everyone in a blue shirt last year who wasn't named Cole Palmer - Gallagher is a homegrown talent who applied himself, in a way not easy to replicate in terms of commitment nor desire.

Without his on-field contributions last season the club would not have qualified for Europe nor enjoyed two long domestic cup runs.

Chelsea's management were bemusingly compelled to buy Joao Felix from Atletico just to force through the sale after the collapse of the Samu Omorodion deal.

Felix was deemed not good enough by Atletico, Barcelona, and had a subpar loan spell here in 2023. Chelsea's transfer fee combined with the cost of Gallagher's replacement in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (a player currently nowhere near an England setup that included Gallagher in the Euros) has wiped out the "pure profit" for which Gallagher has been sold.

The icing on this sour cake is the club's attempts to hide Gallagher being forced out from the start, offering him an insultingly short term contract with the apparent promise of another new deal - if he established himself in Enzo Maresca's side.

No one at Chelsea, fans especially, would begrudge Gallagher laughing at such a return under the current management. Morale among supporters is at a very low ebb under the current ownership.

With yet more hundreds of millions spent in the transfer market everyone is under pressure to deliver Champions League football - with a team again in the early stages of development.

Find more from Ross Mooring at ChelseaFancast.com, external

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says it is "not a comfortable situation" for players left out of his large squad.

The head coach confirmed in his pre-Europa Conference League news conference on Wednesday that Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are part of a group of 15 players who are currently training away from the first team.

While the Blues have a squad of over 40 players, Maresca has only been working with a group of 21 on a day-to-day basis.

"If they are looking for minutes, then it is better if they leave. If they do not leave, then they have a contract here and they are a Chelsea player," he said.

"For sure, it's not a comfortable situation. I don't have any doubt. When I was a player, I had the exact same happen to me, so I know exactly 100% the feeling.

"But also, I think it's good to know that if you are going to stay, then you are going to struggle to get minutes. Now in this moment, it is not the best situation. But probably in two days, in one week, 10 days, it can be a better situation because you move, you join a club where you are going to play more games.

"There are also different clubs who maybe don't have 15 [training away] but have four, five or six players who are in the same situation. I think, in the end, after 10 days it will be much better for all the clubs – not only Chelsea."

One of the Blues new signings this summer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is part of the main squad, says they are "in a bubble".

"You can't let that sort of thing affect you," the 25-year-old added. "We just go out every day and train as well as we can, getting ready for the matches. Everything that happens outside is not up to us.

"We have one job and that is it - to play as well as we can for the club.

"Of course if you have friends in the team you want to see them every day and train, but these are decisions we don't make as players, that's the club. It's not in our hands, all we can do is go and play and train."