Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has voiced his concerns over the toll of relentless football on his squad, admitting that fatigue and injuries are already shaping his selection headaches.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Fulham, the Italian pointed to the fitness struggles of his most trusted players, including Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, and Levi Colwill.

“I don’t think that it is random that our three players with the most minutes last year were Levi [Colwill], Cole and Moi [Caicedo],” Maresca told reporters.

“Levi is injured, Cole too and Moi today only had his first training session since the West Ham game. It is not random, it is the amount of games. Look at [Manchester] City last year, they lost Rodri after two or three games. He was a player that had the most minutes for them.”

The Chelsea boss was quick to highlight that the issue isn’t unique to Stamford Bridge. He drew parallels with Manchester City, noting how Pep Guardiola’s side also suffered when their midfield lynchpin was sidelined early last season.

For Maresca, the volume of matches from last year, combined with Chelsea’s recent involvement in the Club World Cup, has left his squad vulnerable.

“We are going to have problems this season for sure because of last season. But it’s about how we can adapt and get players to recover,” he explained.

Palmer has already been ruled out of the Fulham fixture, while Caicedo, only just back in training, may have his minutes carefully managed. With Colwill also unavailable, Maresca faces the challenge of reshuffling his line-up without three of the players he leaned on most heavily last term.

The message from the Chelsea manager is clear: this is not a coincidence, but the inevitable result of overloaded schedules. As the season unfolds, his ability to adapt and keep his stars fit could define Chelsea’s campaign.