Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has opened up on why the Blues have struggled to match the consistency of the Premier League’s top sides this season.

Speaking after Chelsea’s recent outing, Maresca pointed to the club’s relentless injury crisis as a major reason for their underwhelming campaign.

“You can see that we are a better team with Romeo,” Maresca began, in reference to Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has spent the majority of the season on the treatment table. “Unfortunately, he has been injured for most of the season.”

Lavia’s absence has been one of many setbacks Maresca has had to contend with since taking charge. The 20-year-old was expected to play a key role in Chelsea’s midfield engine, but repeated injury setbacks have robbed him of the chance to show his quality.

“Probably in this moment [earlier in the season], the difference between us and more clubs is that we unfortunately had many important players for us who were injured, and Romeo was one of them,” Maresca explained.

He didn’t stop there. “No doubt, Wes Fofana was another, and we had Nico out for two months,” he added, highlighting the long-term absence of Wesley Fofana and a significant layoff for Nicolas Jackson, who was just beginning to find form before his injury.

Despite the setbacks, Maresca praised the players who stepped up when called upon, especially those who made their mark coming off the bench. “We have had some players on the bench who helped us a lot this season – Reece is one of them, Tosin is one of them, Jadon was one of them,” he said, referencing the contributions of Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Jadon Sancho, who have all played supporting but important roles.

Maresca also applauded the efforts of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who impressed in the semi-final clash. “The rest you can see in the semi-final – Kiernan was very good.”

The Chelsea head coach finished with a rallying cry for unity as the season approaches its climax. “If you want to fight for something, then you have to pull in the same direction.”

Maresca’s message is clear: Chelsea’s struggles this season are not down to lack of quality, but lack of continuity due to injuries. And with players slowly returning, the Blues might just finish stronger than expected.

Do you think Chelsea could’ve been title contenders if Lavia, Fofana, and others had stayed fit?