Enzo Maresca has urged the Chelsea fans not to barrack under-fire goalkeeper Robert Sanchez if he starts against West Ham on Monday.
Sanchez has made errors in his last two appearances – he was at fault for Wolves’ goal at Stamford Bridge on January 20 and Erling Haaland’s crucial second in the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City last Saturday.
And while Maresca admitted he had yet to decide if would stick with Sanchez, or turn instead to back-up Filip Jorgensen, he said it was important the fans supported whoever got the nod.
He said: “The only thing I can say is that we need the fans. We need them, the players need them. Understanding that sometimes, for different reasons, they cannot be happy with the players or with the manager in general. But for sure, we need their support because they have to trust our direction.
“If I see something I don’t like, I am the first one who doesn’t accept that. They can be happy in terms of the way they [the players] try to work every day, the way they try to embrace all the situations we have had this season. I am sure at the end, we are going to be there fighting for something.”
Full focus on Monday night. 👊 pic.twitter.com/b4hBdWk8nA
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 30, 2025
Maresca may try to protect Sanchez
Maresca hinted that if Sanchez was left out it would be for his own good.
“Yes, sometimes that can happen,” he added. “Not only in Robert’s case. The other day I was reading about [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, this season he was playing always for Paris Saint-Germain but for some games Luis Enrique left him out. Now, he’s playing every game and doing well.
“Sometimes, for sure, it can be a solution but it doesn’t mean it is in Robert’s case.”
Potter’s return
Monday sees the return of Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 after just seven months in charge.
The 49-year-old took over at West Ham earlier this month and Maresca has been impressed by what he has seen.
He said: “They are very aggressive. I watched the four or five games with Graham in charge. You can see they are trying to be very aggressive, even in the last game against Aston Villa.
“It will be a tough game, like always. In terms of tactical, we still have two days to prepare the game, so we are going to see.”