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Chelsea's manager has indicated that the squad is facing the aftermath" of their previous Club World Cup involvement, with a significant number of squad members unavailable for the forthcoming match against Liverpool.

Current Fitness Situation

Important attacker Cole Palmer is sidelined with a recurring muscle injury, adding to the list of lengthy unavailable players that includes Fofana, Liam Delap, Colwill, Santos, and Tosin Adarabioyo. Moreover, Chalobah is suspended following his red card in the last defeat to Brighton.

"This is the truth," Maresca stated. "Given that Paris Saint-Germain and we have so many injuries, probably it's some consequences from the tournament. In this moment we have four or five defenders out, but we're going to attempt to adjust and find the right answer."

Report Highlights Fixture Issues

A recent report from the worldwide football union Fifpro indicated that the club's players were given three weeks off after claiming victory in the competition in July, while PSG, the defeated runners-up, rested their players for over three weeks. The report linked this intense schedule to the fitness problems experienced by both clubs.

Maresca expressed alignment with the report's conclusions and emphasized his confidence in the youthful talent who will step in. Josh Acheampong is likely to earn his fourth Premier League start in the backline.

Belief in Youth

"It is challenging," Maresca admitted, "however at the same time we believe in the ones that are available. For sure, when you can change one individual after several matches, it's better. The more you play together with colleagues, the relationship grows better. Sometimes you don't have to talk to do something on the field – they grasp immediately. When you continue to rotate it's increasingly hard."

"Yet I truly trust the young stars. Not only the young players that we buy but also the young players from the academy. We gave opportunities last season to Acheampong so that demonstrates that I trust young players."

Disciplinary Issues Discussed

Turning to disciplinary concerns, Maresca stated he is not concerned by Chelsea's record of red cards. The team has received multiple red cards in their previous three games, including a player's red card in the European victory over Benfica.

Since his appointment in mid-2024, Chelsea has the poorest conduct stats among Premier League clubs, with seven red cards in 73 games – one every ten point four fixtures. Additionally, they top the division for yellow cards under his tenure, with over a hundred bookings.

"There is any conduct problem," Maresca remarked. "You have to analyse each incident individually. When it's a red card for bad intention or for poor behavior, it's distinct from the United red card or the Seagulls sending-off. In those cases, it's simply a choice that you have to take in two seconds, three seconds. Should I commit a foul or not? It's difficult."