Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive outings.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people failed to back us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.