Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has opened up on his bold decision to leave out big-money summer signing Christopher Nkunku for academy graduate Tyrique George in the Blues’ recent win over Fulham.

Nkunku, who joined Chelsea in 2023 for a substantial fee, was surprisingly left out of the matchday squad for the 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. In his place, youngster Tyrique George earned a spot in the squad – and made the most of it, scoring the equaliser that set Chelsea on the path to all three points.

Now, with Malo Gusto ruled out through injury, Nkunku has been recalled to the squad for the upcoming game against Everton. Maresca revealed the reasoning behind the shuffle, making it clear that every decision is made with the club’s best interests at heart.

“He’s back in the squad. He’s training well,” Maresca said during his press conference ahead of Saturday’s fixture. “If he was in the squad for the Fulham game, one offensive player has to be out – probably Tyrique. But now Malo is out, so we can bring another one.”

The manager’s comments shed light on the selection dilemma he faced, choosing between an experienced, high-profile player and a young academy product who had impressed in training.

“I know that Christo cost a lot of money and Ty is from the academy,” Maresca admitted. “But I’m here to take this kind of decision that probably from outside is difficult to see, but from inside, when you see them working every day, you have to take a decision.

“Since day one, I just tried to do my best for the club, so any decision I take is always thinking about the best thing for the club,” he affirmed.