Enzo Maresca speaks on Chelsea 'civil war' and drops Ben Chilwell hint

Enzo Maresca has insisted the ‘civil war’ between Chelsea’s co-owners is not proving a distraction despite admitting he doesn’t know how the situation will end. Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Bournemouth on Saturday night, the Italian also appeared to open the door to Ben Chilwell to return to the first team fold, despite previously axing the player from the fold.

The Italian was pressed on the alleged power struggle at the club between Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, and duly confirmed he had been in conversation with both parties this season.

“I spoke with Todd when we played City,” he said. “I spoke with Behdad days ago. I am speaking with both, there is no problem at all.”

And he strongly refuted suggestions the dispute has affected team focus, adding: “If I spend my energy on something different, it’s not worth it. My focus is just on tomorrow’s game, to be honest. In the last week, I have focused on the game, preparing in the best way.

“The players are professional enough to understand there are things we cannot control. The main focus, for me, is exactly the main focus of the players; to improve things. This is the main target for them, for me, for all of us.”

Asked how he thinks the situation will conclude, Maresca admitted: “I don’t know if something is going to happen, to be honest. On the football side, we are in the right direction. I also used the international break to review the games and these type of things.”

In an apparent U-turn, Maresca also confirmed that Chilwell, who seemed set to leave the club after joining a group of around 20 players made to train separately, was set to return to the first team fold. “We will sit with him and find a solution,” he said.

“He is probably going to be back with us in training sessions, we’ll see, because at the moment, he is not training with us. The reason why he is training apart is because the idea was for him to leave. We didn’t find solutions and he is here. He is probably going to start training with us.”

The 44-year-old confirmed that Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto would be unavailable for the trip to the Vitality Stadium. And he was coy on whether Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, would be handed his first start.

“I decide the first XI, it depends on the training session,” he said. “Jadon is one of our wingers. I am seeing him exactly the way I was expecting him. Now it’s a matter to find the right moment for him, to give him a chance.”

Chelsea head into the weekend with four points from their opening three games. But despite the underwhelming start, Maresca said his squad has used the international break to address their defensive problems, arguing: “We work to try and find some balance. It doesn’t mean we’re not defending well.”