Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca brushed off any concerns about Noni Madueke’s reaction following his substitution in the 68th minute during Chelsea’s recent match.

The young winger appeared visibly frustrated as he was taken off, but Maresca emphasized that Madueke’s desire to stay on the pitch is only natural.

“The problem is when you change a player, they are never happy,” Maresca explained.

“Probably the only way to be happy is after a hat trick, but it’s not only about Noni, it’s about the players as they want to be there through to the end.”

Maresca clarified that his decision to substitute Madueke was purely tactical, aimed at adjusting Chelsea’s approach in the final stages of the match.

“At that moment [in the match] we saw a different way. We thought Pedro [Neto] with [Jurrien] Timber could be more aggressive — so it was a tactical decision,” he said.