Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca Provides Squad Update Ahead of West Ham Clash
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that the club will be without two key players, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile, for their upcoming Premier League match against West Ham United. The Italian manager revealed this during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, citing injuries as the reason for their absence.
However, Maresca also delivered some positive news, stating that defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana will be available for selection for the Friday night encounter at the London Stadium. Addressing the media, Maresca expressed surprise that Adarabioyo’s availability had not been widely reported, given the attention his absence received last week.
“Tosin is available for tomorrow,” Maresca said. “I’m a little bit surprised because last week when he was not available, the day before it was everywhere [in the media] that he was not available. Now I don’t know why you don’t know he is available! But yes, he is available.”
In addition to Adarabioyo and Fofana, Maresca provided updates on other injured players. “Romeo is still out [and won’t play in this game]. Benoit is still out. Wes is back, as I said, and that’s all.”
The match against West Ham comes on the heels of a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace for Chelsea, while the Hammers are looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to Sunderland. The kick-off time for the West Ham vs Chelsea match is scheduled for 8 p.m. Nigerian time on Friday.
With this latest update, Chelsea fans will be eager to see how the team performs without Lavia and Badiashile. The availability of Adarabioyo and Fofana will undoubtedly provide a boost to the squad, and Maresca will be hoping to secure a positive result against West Ham.