Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that he plans to rotate his squad for their League Cup fourth-round trip to Wolves on Wednesday.
After a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland in the Premier League, Chelsea will look to bounce back and continue their strong cup form.
Maresca’s side are still competing in four competitions this season, and the Italian coach has stressed the need to protect his players amid a demanding fixture schedule.
“We need to rotate,” Maresca said on Tuesday. “We need to protect the players because if we go with the same eleven, we are going to struggle during the season. We will probably make some changes against Wolves, I don’t know how many, but we will make changes.”
Maresca has already shown his willingness to shuffle the pack, having made ten changes for Chelsea’s emphatic 5-1 Champions League victory over Ajax last week.
The Italian emphasised that squad depth will be key as the season progresses, particularly with Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, and FA Cup fixtures piling up.
The Chelsea boss also confirmed that young striker Liam Delap could make his long-awaited return from injury. The 22-year-old, who joined from relegated Ipswich Town in the summer, has been sidelined since August with a hamstring problem.
“Liam completed the whole session with us yesterday with no problems and he is available for tomorrow,” Maresca said. “We have to be careful with Liam, it is unlikely he will play 90 minutes. He has been out for two months, so he needs to be gradually brought back to 100 percent.”
Chelsea currently sit eighth in the Premier League table after ten matches and remain unbeaten in Europe. Maresca’s rotation policy will once again be tested as the Blues seek to keep momentum in the domestic cup while maintaining fitness across a packed squad.
