Chelsea’s players must embrace the pressure they are under and make the most of the few matches they have left to turn around their season, manager Enzo Maresca said ahead of a Premier League meeting with rivals Fulham on Sunday.
Maresca’s side, seeking to return to the Champions League after two dismal seasons, have fallen to sixth place in the league standings after disappointing draws with Brentford and relegation-threatened Ipswich Town.
The London club also suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Polish side Legia Warsaw in the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie on Thursday, but advanced to the semi-finals of the competition with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Asked if it was a bad time for Chelsea to be playing Fulham in a derby, Maresca told reporters: “No, in this moment, there is no bad time. In this moment, there is only a right time to play any game.
“We have six Premier League games, plus the two Conference League semi-final games. So at the moment, we have eight official games to play, and all of them, it’s a good time to play.
“It’s all important. We cannot decide in which moment. Now is the moment to go if we want to reach something.”
Chelsea have been lacking in firepower in recent weeks with attackers Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson both enduring extended goal droughts.
Maresca said the club will only be able to finish in the top five if the duo can rediscover their form, adding: “They have scored goals (in the past).
“It’s just a moment that they need to turn a little bit that moment. But I said before, Cole scored 14 goals in 20 Premier League games (this season). So he scored goals. Nico was the same before the injury.
“Now, unfortunately, Nico was out two months. So probably physicality needs a little bit more.”
The Italian manager added that Chelsea will be able to call upon the services of midfielder Romeo Lavia against Fulham, but stressed that the Belgian would be eased back into action to avoid any more injury issues.
Lavia has played only two Premier League games since early December and recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
“Romeo is back, he’s training with us and he can be available for Sunday. With him we’re going to try the same thing that we are trying with Reece James,” Maresca said.
“I would like to play Reece every three days but we are trying to manage him, to help him. Exactly the same thing we are going to try to do with Romeo because he’s for us an important player.”
