London, April 2 (IANS) Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has admitted that on-loan midfielder Jadon Sancho needs to perform better, with the club battling for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Since joining on loan from Manchester United, Sancho has represented The Blues on 28 occasions, while finding the back of the net twice and garnering seven assists.
“You probably have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, his situation does not change, it is exactly the same. For sure, he can do better in terms of numbers, no doubt, but it is not only about Jadon. We have more players in the same situation.
“I do not need to give Jadon a message, I speak with him every day. I had a conversation with him yesterday. He needs to continue to give his best until the end. That is what we want from Jadon,” said Maresca at the pre-match press conference.
Sancho joined Chelsea with an obligation to buy between 20 to 25 million pounds, providing the London club finish at least 14th in the Premier League this season. But, a recent report by The Athletic confirmed that there is a clause in the deal that allows the West London club to back out of the deal by paying 5 million pounds.
“All the players that are with us, I love all of them. But in this moment, it’s the moment to finish well and not think about next season. What happens in the summer, we will see. I am happy with all the players here,” said Maresca.
Maresca also offered a positive update on Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson ahead of Friday’s (IST) London derby with Tottenham.
The Blues welcome Ange Postecoglou’s side to Stamford Bridge, looking to take a step closer towards securing Champions League football.
While Spurs represent a difficult challenge, Maresca is delighted to have players returning to action following injury issues and confirmed that Palmer, Madueke and Jackson are in contention to feature.
“Cole is back; he is ok. He is better. Noni is better and Nico is better. They are all good. It is very good to have them back. We have said many times, that this is a game for the players and when they are not there or for different reasons, you struggle.
“It’s exactly what happened to us this season; we had six unbelievable months and then six or seven injuries in a row. Then we lost something. But it will be good to finish the season with all of them,” he added.
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