Is rotation costing Chelsea – amid near Qarabag shock?

Both literally and figuratively, you never know which Chelsea is going to turn up.

Chelsea have lurched from negative to positive throughout this campaign, playing well against bigger teams but often not as well against so-called lesser opposition.

In big games, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Garnacho usually start.

However, Maresca is managing the fitness of all three of those players , as he also is with returning striker Liam Delap. In addition, key players like Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill are injured.

There are further mitigating factors behind the extreme nature of Maresca’s rotation, given Chelsea endured a 13-month season last year, due to winning the Club World Cup in July, which also shortened pre-season to less than two weeks.

The Italian added: “We have players, the intention tonight was to rest Enzo [Fernandez], to rest Moises [Caicedo], to rest Malo [Gusto], to rest more players, because they are not able to play every three days.

“They need recovery from last season, as you say, the Club World Cup affects a lot. We try to rotate when you win, no-one mentioned all that.

“I know that when we don’t win, everyone is focused on that and now I think it’s important to recover energy for Saturday and go again.”

Yet rivals like Spurs and Arsenal have done fewer rotations in the last few weeks, in back-to-back matches, which is surely designed to help build cohesion and consistency despite the differing recent fortunes of the two North London clubs.

Maresca is not helped by the underwhelming performances by some of those coming in.

Alongside Hato, forwards Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George struggled, as did midfielder Andrey Santos, all of them aged 21 or younger, against a brave Qarabag side proving themselves to be Europe’s giant-killers this season having already beaten Benfica and Copenhagen

Midfielder Romeo Lavia also started but pulled up after just four minutes, leaving Chelsea briefllywith 10 men before he was substituted off.

There have to be real concerns about the long-term fitness of the Belgian international signed from Southampton for £53m in 2023.

He has had 10 injuries, been out for 568 days and missed 87 matches since joining Chelsea, according to Transfermarkt. He has played just 29 times and has never completed a full 90 minutes for the club.

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