Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has told his players to quieten the “noise” that surrounds the club by securing Champions League qualification in the end-of-season clash against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

A win for Chelsea at the City Ground will seal a top-five finish and a place in the Champions League for the first time in three seasons.

Chelsea’s season has been filled with highs and lows, and Maresca believes that qualifying for the Champions League will quieten the noise.

“We needed to manage noises at the beginning but the noise was more from outside than inside,” said Maresca.

“The inside since I joined the club looked quite normal.

“I don’t have the feeling that it was a mess. Since I joined the club it’s been quite clear. The noise was (about) a big squad, many managers, but inside it’s been all normal.

“You have more noise if you don’t get results. When we were second in December, everyone was happy, everyone said Chelsea is back. Then when we dropped points everyone said Chelsea was not good enough.

“If we are able to finish in the right way there will be less noise. But if in September we’re not going to win games the noise will be again a big noise.”