Every word Enzo Maresca said on Chelsea vs Man Utd, injury news, Nicolas Jackson replacement

Enzo Maresca has just wrapped up one of his final pre-match press conferences of the season. With playing their penultimate Premier League game of the campaign against Manchester United on Friday evening, the head coach has just previewed the clash.

It is one of big significance for the Blues, who are in fifth position in the table going into the final two matches of the top-flight season. Here is every word had to say in an interesting press conference:

Latest injury news? Is Christopher Nkunku out? How is Reece James?

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No, Christo is still out. Reece is okay. He was ill and was out for Tuesday's session and yesterday he had a session with us.

Have you had a chat with Nicolas Jackson about the red card?

I think Nico is intelligent enough to recognise that there has been an error, a mistake.

Would you have taken this position going into the final two games at the start of the season?

Yes, absolutely. I think at the beginning of the season we were, as you said, if someone said to us that we need to win the last two games to reach the Champions League spot, probably we would have been happy. I think overall during the season we had moments, for instance the first five or six months where we were second, third, so even better. Now we are there and we are going to try to finish well.

Considering you were second and third as late on as December, would there be disappointment if you weren't able to finish in the top five?

No, because we have been there all season and we are now there. For sure it can be disappointing.

Have there been conversations with the club internally about what that would mean for you and the club if you weren't in the Champions League next season?

We didn't speak about that to be honest. We didn't have a conversation about if we are Champions League or if we are not Champions League.

You said previously against low blocks and back five it's more difficult to attack quickly because there's less space. You have Man United next. What makes them so difficult to play against and what do you think needs to change in your team to have a better record against these types of stars to play?

I think if you go back, we won almost all the games against low blocks and back five. The only difference is that when we face these kinds of teams, probably we didn't attack quick in the way people like. But if you go back, West Ham, Wolves, Leicester, more teams that we face with the line of five, I think our results will be good. It's just a matter to play, to learn, to play differently.

What has Enzo Fernandez's improvement been down to - his work off the pitch or on?

It's both. At the beginning, because he was playing in one way all his life, previously with Benfica in Argentina, with us it's more understanding where he has to stay and where he has to arrive when we are attacking. I think he scores goals but also in terms of assists he has important numbers. I don't have any doubt that starting next season, from the first game, he can improve his numbers even more.

Have Chelsea got a discipline issue?

I think, I don't know if I'm... I think against Newcastle was our first red card of the season. I don't know, to be honest. It's probably also the way we try to be, I don't know, intense, aggressive. I don't know to be honest. It's a good question that probably we need to analyse during the summer when we have some day off and to see if there is something that we can do better.

Have you been surprised by Manchester United this season?

To be honest, I'm focused here and it's already difficult to judge when you are inside, imagine when you are not there. So it's very difficult to understand the reason why. The only thing I can say is that we try here to be focused on us, to try to do our best here and then it's, I don't know, it's something that probably they have to look at.

But is it a good time to play them now?

In my personal opinion, it's not about if it's a good time to face them or not. It's just about us. I think even if we had a defeat the last game against Newcastle, I think the team is in a good moment, is in a good run. The last 10 Premier League games, I think we had 20 points. The average is two points per game, that is a good average to reach the Champions League spot. So we have to be focused on us and try to do our best to win Friday night.

How will you replace Nicolas Jackson tomorrow?

We are working on that. These are the options that we have. We don't have many options. Unfortunately, Marc Guiu is still injured. He started to train with us but he's not ready to play from the start. We are working on different options for Friday night.

The whole league season has come to these last two league games. Do you enjoy that? Do you enjoy the pressure of that?

Yes, absolutely. I enjoy it since day one, knowing that there have been some moments when we were more happy, less happy. But it's my job, it's our job.

Has your Champions League target changed since the start of the season?

Since day one, I said that the target that the club gave to me was in two years we want to play in the Champions League. Since day one. But when you arrive to March and you have been all season, top four, top five, it's natural that the target is to finish in the Champions League. So the reason why it changed from the beginning is because we arrived to March, international break, I still remember that we were there all season.

So it's normal that then the target becomes to finish top four, top five. So what has changed is that because we have been there all season, the target automatically becomes finish top four, top five.

Have you overachieved this season then?

I said many times already that I think we have a good season. that can become a very good season if we are able to finish top five and also if we are able to win the Conference League.

For that to happen, do both finishing in the top five and winning the Conference League need to happen? Chelsea have a reputation for winning trophies...

Yeah, but not in the last two years. It's different. In the last two years, 12 and six. This is not a title. So it's not about 10 years ago, 15 years ago.

We've seen this week an injury to Taiwo Awoniyi. What are your thoughts on assistant referees waving their flags late? Does the rule need to change?

Sometimes from outside it looks quite clear that for instance, sometimes you can see that it's clear offside but they wait and then they raise the flag but it's not the first time unfortunately for the player. It's been a bad moment and hopefully all the best to him and this is the most important thing himself.

How does the attack change when you have a false nine?

It depends on the game plan. Against a line of five I prefer a real No.9 because you need to attack in behind in the threat, unfortunately we don't have, so we need to find a different solution. I like false nines when we face a line of four because probably you can link a little bit more, but against a line of five you need people running in behind but it's where it is and we need to find some difference.

How do you handle the pressure of these last games?

It's for all of us, I think it's for the club because we said since day one that we have the duty to bring this club where this club has to be that is top four, top five this season, Champions League and the players they are aware, the coaching staff we are aware, the club is aware and hopefully we can finish the season there.

Are you confident you can fix Jackson's discipline issues?

For me it's not about the age because no matter the age you are if you make a mistake and then it's okay, all of us we make mistakes but if you make the same mistake again probably it's not the best thing. I think he's the first red card this season for us. Unfortunately it's been for Nico.

Then in terms of yellow cards, probably it's something seriously that during the summer because now we have no time to fix and to see the reason why of this yellow card the amount of them that we can avoid and try to improve for next season.

Do you think he does have the maturity and the temperament in Chelsea's main strike of the number of years?

Yeah I think so. It's normal that after a red card the light is on Nico but overall it's something that is not about Newcastle or first game of the season, it's something that if you can avoid it's good for it.

Improvement in the second-half vs Newcastle?

We were even more brave. We were playing three defenders, three midfielders, three strikers, so the team was quite brave. But I think the team has been always brave sometimes because of the other team, sometimes you can do that, sometimes not but overall I think the team has been brave since we started. I think the spirit that we showed second-half, the togetherness, the effort of the players has been fantastic and it's something that for sure we will need in the next two games.