Enzo Maresca has played down the significance of Chelsea’s first-team squad losing to a patched-together Under-21s team during the international break, which saw the manager cancel a day off.
Reports emerged last week that the remaining first-team stars who were not on international duty fell to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of a group of youth and academy players, with Donnell McNeilly, 19, scoring twice and Chizzy Ezenwata, 16, adding the third.
Maresca reacted by canceling a planned day off for his senior squad, but the Blues boss waylayed fears that his side were outworked by the youngsters, instead insisting it was a case of his standards being higher than ever.
He said: “It's nothing. Since I joined the club, I always decide high standards.”
The Italian pointed to the crop of players away on international duty as he searched for an explanation but reiterated that the result was well below his standards.
He continued: “Not many players here and a day off after, sometimes it's normal.
“I didn't allow this, so we decided to train.”
This is not the first time this season that Chelsea players’ work rates have been called into question. Maresca dropped Noni Madueke from his squad in early December, saying “he must work more” if he wanted to hold onto his place.
Madueke will again be fighting for his place after returning from a hamstring injury sustained in an away loss to Brighton in February. Also back in training and available for Thursday night’s match are Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. The trio will be tasked with revitalising Chelsea’s stunted attack.
A win against Spurs at Stamford Bridge will be key for Maresca’s relationship with the Chelsea faithful, who have begun to grow tired of his patient style of play amid slipping results. Chelsea won the reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 4-3 after Cole Palmer scored a brace of late penalties.
To take three points on Thursday would see fourth-placed Chelsea open some breathing space to Manchester City, who sit just one point behind the Blues. Should Spurs take the result, they will leapfrog Manchester United and move into 13th place.
