- Blues occupy the final spot in the Champions League as they are fifth in the table
- Maresca’s men are ahead of nearest challengers Aston Villa on goal difference
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Was Cole Palmer right to leave Man City?
Enzo Maresca claimed his Chelsea players have the status that deserves to play in the Champions League next season.
The Blues had their Champions League qualification hopes dented by a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle last weekend as they wrestle for a top-five finish in a tight finale to the Premier League season.
It ended a run of five consecutive wins across all competitions for Chelsea, keeping Maresca’s side in fifth place and above Aston Villa on goal difference only as Newcastle leap-frogged Manchester City into third. Nottingham Forest lurk just one point behind.
Ahead of their penultimate league match against Manchester United today, Maresca said: ‘Absolutely, Cole (Palmer) is not the only one in terms of players who deserve (the Champions League). I think Moises (Caicedo) also is a player that deserves Champions League.
‘Enzo Fernandez deserves Champions League. Levi Colwill deserves Champions League and this is the reason why we have been there (in top five) and we are going to try to finish there because we have many players that, in terms of status, they deserve to play Champions League.’
Maresca also vowed to review the club’s disciplinary problem in the summer after being awarded the most yellow cards so far this season.
Enzo Maresca has claimed Chelsea deserve to qualify for the Champions League
The Blues’ hopes of securing a top-five finish were dented in a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle
Maresca namechecked Cole Palmer as one of his players who he feels should be playing in the Champions League
Chelsea have received 96 yellow cards in the league which puts them in top spot, with the other top five clubs all on at least 25 fewer bookings than Maresca’s men.
‘Against Newcastle that was our first red card of the season,’ he said.
‘It’s probably also the way we try to be intense, aggressive. It’s a good question that probably we need to analyse during the summer when we have some days off and to see if there is something that we can do better.’
Nicolas Jackson’s red card for a forearm to Sven Botman’s face against Newcastle last weekend earned him an automatic three-game ban.
It means he will miss the visit of Man United today and Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest on the season’s final day.
On Jackson’s red card, Maresca added: ‘Nico is intelligent enough to recognise that there has been an error, a mistake.
‘For me it’s not about the age because no matter the age you are, if you make a mistake it’s OK as all of us make mistakes, but if you make the same mistake again probably it’s not the best thing.’
