Chelsea player asked not to play, Enzo Maresca flatly rejected

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca revealed that he placed Joao Pedro in the starting lineup against Brentford even though the player asked not to play from the start.

Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by Brentford, dropping valuable points with an equalizer from "super sub" Fabio Carvalho in injury time.

New signing Joao Pedro played 79 minutes before being replaced by another newcomer, Alejandro Garnacho.

Coach Maresca still let Joao Pedro start against Brentford even though his student was not fit enough - Photo: Standard

After the match, coach Maresca admitted that Joao Pedro asked not to play because of physical problems.

That's understandable, as the 23-year-old striker played both 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Brazil during the international break.

Joao Pedro then had to undergo a long flight from South America to England, which took a toll on his health.

However, the Italian strategist refused his student's request, because he was lacking options on the attacking front, after Delap was injured, and Nicolas Jackson moved to Bayern Munich.

Coach Maresca said: "Before the match, Joao Pedro told me that he was not 100% fit and it was better not to play.

So I think for the Champions League match against Bayern Munich next week, Joao Pedro will be on the bench.

He played against Brentford because it was a key game. But when the schedule is tight, the manager needs to plan for different options."

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tin-bong-da-2-2442477.html