Maresca urged Chelsea to continue their League Cup campaign with fighting spirit.

2025-12-16 01:02

The 2025/26 EFL Cup will reach its quarter-finals, with Chelsea traveling to face League One side Cardiff City. Manager Maresca stated that he hopes the team will fight for the title with a resilient mentality and believes the "Blues" are heading in the right direction.

In the round of 16, Chelsea defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 after goals from Andre Santos, Terrible George, Estewan Willian, and Gitens. Earlier in the Premier League, Chelsea also returned to winning ways, defeating Everton 2-0 thanks to goals from Palmer and Gusto.

Chelsea manager Maresca said, "There are these kinds of games in football where so-called favorites can lose or be eliminated. That's why these kinds of games are the most dangerous, and that's why we have to be very vigilant. This could be the third time in 18 months that we've reached the semi-finals, and that's a very important thing."

"To have a true winning mentality, the team must keep winning, otherwise the players won't believe in you. From day one, we've been working hard to win games, and tomorrow is another chance to advance to the semi-finals. This is an important moment for the players, the fans, the club, and everyone."

Maresca also stated, "We are on the right track, and of course, there will be periods where we drop points. For me, that's all part of the journey. But without a doubt, I have a feeling that we are getting better and better."

Regarding the lineup selection, Maresca stated, "I have repeatedly mentioned in many press conferences that there are several players in our team who need to be protected. Our goal is to protect them and manage their playing time reasonably, and Palmer is one of the players who currently needs to be protected."

“He is not yet able to play two games in three days, so he will not participate in tomorrow’s game, but he should be fine for the next game. We will make some rotations, and we will need to see how many. But what is certain is that some players in the team have played three games in the past 12 to 13 days, and they may need time to recover their fitness.”