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Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca spoke about the availability of his players for their Premier League opener against Manchester City in his press conference. The Blues are preparing to face the reigning champions in their first league match of the 2024-25 season at home on August 18.
The 2023-24 season under Mauricio Pochettino was riddled with injuries for the side, with a great number of their stars, contributing to their struggles. They lost two players, Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku, to long-term knee injuries in pre-season last year.
Enzo Maresca spoke to the press ahead of the game against Manchester City on Sunday, where he provided updates on the injury situation of his squad. The Italian tactician revealed that his team has only one injury worry for the game, which is captain Reece James.
He said (via Absolute Chelsea):
"We have just one injury: Reece James. The rest are all fit [for Man City]."
James picked up a slight hamstring strain which is expected to keep him out until after the first international break of the season. The English right-back picked up a four-game suspension at the end of the 2023-24 season after receiving a straight red card against Brighton & Hove Albion. He served one game of his suspension on the final day of the season and carried the remaining three into the 2024-25 campaign.
Maresca will be pleased with the fitness level of his squad, all of whom came through a testing pre-season schedule unscathed. The likes of Romeo Lavia, Nkunku, and Fofana, who missed most of the 2023-24 season, played significant minutes during and after their tour of the USA.
Unlike Chelsea, Manchester City will be without star midfielder Rodri as well as youngster Oscar Bobb, who broke his leg in training. Both sides played out two chaotic draws in the league last season and will be keen to start the season in the best manner possible.
Chelsea set to sanction loan move for talented midfielder - Reports
Chelsea are reportedly prepared to send French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on a season-long loan to newly-promoted Southampton to further his development. The 20-year-old France U-21 international joined the Blues from Rennes in the summer of 2023 but saw injuries hamper his development in his debut season.
Ugochukwu was one of the Blues' unsung heroes in pre-season, twice coming off the bench to score equalisers against Wrexham and Inter Milan. The youngster is now prepared to move elsewhere to get regular minutes in the 2024-25 season.
Maresca has a number of midfielders ahead of the former Rennes man, who is also eligible to play for Nigeria. Due to this, Chelsea have decided to send him on loan without a buy option to Southampton, according to the BBC. The lanky midfielder appeared just 15 times across competitions last season and will be hoping for a lot more outings this season.
