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The latest in the ever-growing litany of Chelsea managers will make his debut this week as Enzo Maresca’s Blues side will embark on their first preseason match, facing Wrexham in Santa Clara, California in the wee hours of Thursday morning (BST).
Chelsea supporters had mixed reactions to Maresca’s appointment. The fact that he learned the managerial trade from the revolutionary mind of Pep Guardiola is a definite positive, though the Italian is largely unproven, only completing his first full season as a head coach last year, steering Leicester to top spot in the championship.
Being a Guardiola disciple, Maresca relies on a modern system, employing a variant of the 4-3-3 with inverted full backs and a high-pressing midfield. The formation tends to shift to a 3-2-4-1 in possession, as one full back moves higher up the pitch to help create a man advantage in the centre of the park.
Lucky for Maresca, Chelsea are flush with full backs with the necessary technical acumen to effectively invert. Assuming he stays fit, Reece James has the requisite comfort in possession and physicality to work a defensive midfield position, and Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to invert Marc Cucurella in the late stages of last season was key to rescuing Chelsea’s push for European qualification.
When in a back three, the central defender of the trio becomes a crucial player, key to distributing the ball and starting the attack through line-breaking passes. Renowned for his long-range passing, Levi Colwill will be a serious contender for the job, as will Tosin Adarabioyo, who was signed from Fulham in part for his distribution and dribbling.
In midfield, Maresca leaves one midfielder sitting deep, enforcing defensively and helping to distribute, a role that will likely be afforded to Enzo Fernandez upon his return from holiday and clearance of his disciplinary record. Romeo Lavia will also be a contender for the role.
Higher up the pitch, Maresca employs a pair of attacking midfielders. Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall, who followed his head coach to Stamford Bridge earlier this summer, brought an element of verticality to Maresca’s Leicester side, making late runs into the box and playing slicing through balls to create chances from the half-space. Given his familiarity with Maresca’s system, Dewsbury-Hall will likely be in line for a run of starts as his new teammates get to grips with their new roles, though Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer will both be in line for minutes in the middle.
Maresca plays a lone No 9, likely to be Nicolas Jackson, who is yet to join the squad. The nine drops deep to receive from the defence before linking up with the attacking midfielders to create chances. Jamie Vardy thrived in the role last season, scoring 18 league goals in 35 appearances. One of Chelsea’s latest wonderkid signings, Marc Guiu, also has the attributes to make the most of the role, with the physicality for the false-nine-esque responsibilities and the pace to act as a target man.
The final element of the equation is a traditional winger with a tendency to cut back and connect with the midfield, creating a dynamic attack. Supporters have theorised that Raheem Sterling’s experience and football IQ will establish him as the first choice on the left flank, though Mykhailo Mudryk will lay legitimate claim to a starting spot.
Who starts on the right flank will depend on what Maresca decides to do with Cole Palmer, who should be the first name on the team sheet, regardless of position. Should Palmer be deployed centrally, the responsibility will fall to Noni Madueke, who showed flashes of his immense talent in his limited minutes under Pochettino.
What lineup, then, can the Blues fans expect for Wrexham? Whatever squad we see will not be entirely representative of Maresca’s plans given the amount of internationals yet to join up with the squad, including Palmer, Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo, among others.
Robert Sanchez is reported to be Maresca’s first-choice keeper, and should start between the sticks before making way for Djordje Petrovic at halftime.
Across the back four, expect James and Ben Chillwell at right and left back, respectively, with a centre-back pairing of Colwill and Adarabioyo.
Romeo Lavia could make an appearance in midfield, though his match fitness is still a question mark after missing the 2023/24 season in its entirety through injury. Ahead of him, Dewsbury-Hall will occupy one attacking midfield position, with Nkunku opposite in a free-roaming creative role.
Completing the squad, expect Madueke and Sterling on the wings. Centre forward options will be limited, so a Guiu debut may be on the cards.
As ever in preseason, expect heavy rotation as Maresca looks to test his squad and experiment with different player combinations. Facing six preseason fixtures, he will have ample time to test his players.
