Chelsea and Enzo Maresca parted ways after the manager reportedly clashed with club officials over how injuries were being managed.
The ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, had already built a reputation for this sort of thing. One example came before Thomas Tuchel was sacked when he was denied entry into the dressing room.
As for Maresca, despite winning two trophies in his previous campaign, it did not end much better. Reports pointed to ongoing disagreements over player injuries and medical decisions as the main cause.
There were even suggestions that a staff member was assigned to oversee how returning players were being reintroduced into matches.
The constant back-and-forth eventually led to the two sides splitting up.
And the situation still seems to be troubling Maresca.
Enzo Maresca shares thoughts on FIFA’s Chelsea injury data
Maresca, speaking at a recent awards event, hinted that he plans to remain in England.
While at the same event, he also addressed some recent FIFA findings regarding injuries at Chelsea (per FCInter1908).
“What do I think about the fact that we play too much? Either you adapt or you don’t train or you don’t play a player. The reality is that there are more and more games: with Chelsea playing in the Club World Cup we didn’t take holidays, retirement, everything is a consequence,” the Italian manager said.
“A few days ago a FIFA study came out that indicated Chelsea and PSG as the teams with the most injuries, coincidentally the finalists of the World Cup. In short, either you adapt or you struggle.”
Enzo Maresca’s point proven
Maresca’s concerns about player fatigue appear to be supported by recent data. He pointed to their run to the 2025 Club World Cup final as having a clear impact on squad fitness.
The Howden Men’s European Football Injury Index tracked 23 injuries for Chelsea between June and October 2025, representing a 44% rise from the previous season.
Maresca often spoke about how fixture congestion was affecting his team, including an occasion when he was without seven or eight players for a match against Liverpool.
The recent addition of Jamie Gittens to an already extensive list brings everything into clearer focus.
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