Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca revealed that he made a “technical decision” to exclude Noni Madueke and Renato Vega from the matchday squad to face Fulham.
According to “The Athletic” network, Maresca made only one substitution, as Chelsea suffered their first defeat in the English Premier League since October, against their west London rival, as Nicholas Jackson was replaced by Christopher Nkunku in the 73rd minute. His bench included two senior goalkeepers. In addition to newcomers João Felix, Axel Disasi, Josh Acheampong, Cesar Casadei, Tyrique George and Marc Goyo.
Madueke was the most surprising absence from the squad before kick-off, and after the match, Maresca confirmed that the 22-year-old was not injured.
“It’s just a technical decision,” Maresca said when asked why Madueke was ruled out against Fulham. Sometimes we make some decisions. “It’s nothing more than that.”
This is the second time in a month that Madueke has publicly wronged Mariska. Earlier in December, the Chelsea coach revealed that he had excluded the winger from the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, due to his performance in training.
Maresca said about Madueke after his team’s 5-1 victory over Southampton: “Noni is capable of doing more. He can do more. The moment he starts scoring or helping and being happy, he starts to decline a little bit and the reason he doesn’t participate is because I don’t like the way he trains.”
When asked after the Fulham loss whether Madueke needed to ensure he maintained a high level in training, Maresca replied: “Yes, of course the competition has to be higher. But not just Noni Madueke – Renato Vega wasn’t in the team either. The reason is exactly the same for both. There is no different reason. “It’s just a technical decision.”
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the last player left out of Chelsea’s squad for the match against Fulham, although Maresca later revealed that his absence was due to injury.