Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has refused to engage in discussions about Jadon Sancho’s future at the club, preferring to focus solely on the remainder of the current season.
Sancho, who joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United, has faced a difficult season, managing just two goals in 29 appearances and enduring an 18-game goal drought. While reports suggest the winger could return to United when his loan ends, Maresca emphasized that now is not the time to discuss such matters.
“I’m completely focused on nine games, two months to go, I’m completely focused about that. Then what happens in summer, we’ll see,” Maresca said when asked about a potential permanent deal for the 25-year-old. “The Jadon situation doesn’t change. In terms of numbers, he could do better, no doubt. It is not just about Jadon but we have more players in the same situation.”
The manager also addressed recent reports regarding his decision to cancel a day off for players who were not involved in international duty. Following Chelsea’s 3-0 loss to their Under-21s, Maresca admitted that some players had fallen short of his “high standards” but downplayed the incident, stating, “It is nothing. It is normal for the players to be relaxed during the international break.”
Looking ahead to Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Tottenham, Maresca expressed relief at the return of key players from injury, including Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke. “They are all good. It is good news. When they are not there for different reasons, we struggle,” Maresca explained. “That is exactly what happened when we had five or six unbelievable months and then six or seven injuries in a row and lost something. It is good to finish with all of them.”
However, midfielder Romeo Lavia remains a doubt for the Tottenham clash due to a “small problem” and is unlikely to feature.
