"They are free to go" - Enzo Maresca sends strong message to Chelsea players who are unhappy at the club

Enzo Maresca has revealed that he told the Chelsea board that he only wants to work with players who are happy to fight for their place. The manager was quizzed about reports linking Noni Madueke to Arsenal when he gave a strong reply.

In the press conference after the win over Palmeiras, Maresca said that he has made it clear to everyone that no unhappy player will be kept at the club. He is happy to let any player go if they want to leave and said (via Football London):

"Noni has been very important for us during this season. Today, again, he has been important. But my message to the players and to the club is that I want just players that are happy to be with us. The ones that are not happy, they are free to go. It's not for Noni, it's for all the players we have. But again, Noni has been very good during the season and very good tonight."

When quizzed about the two new young additions, Maresca confirmed that Jamie Gittens was with the squad but would not be playing at the FIFA Club World Cup. The Borussia Dortmund star will be heading on his vacation in a couple of days, and it was the same for Estevao Willian, who scored against them in the quarterfinal clash. He added:

"Jamie was here tonight, he was on the pitch. And he will be with us probably one more day, two days more. And then he will go for a holiday and come back when we're going to start the new season. Estevao, I spoke with him for the first time after the game. I told him that it's been the perfect night because we won, he scored. So it's been perfect for us and for him."

Chelsea have already signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this summer and both players have made their debuts. They have also signed Mamadou Sarr and Dário Essugo to bolster the defense and midfield, respectively.

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Enzo Maresca delighted with Chelsea players after Palmeiras win

Enzo Maresca has admitted that he was delighted to see the Chelsea players deliver on the pitch against Palmeiras. The Blues were without Moises Caicedo, as he was suspended, while Romeo Lavia was ruled out before the match.

Reece James was named in the starting XI but pulled out after the warmup and was replaced by Andrey Santos. Maresca heaped praise on his players who got the 2-1 win and said:

"We know each other much, much better compared to one year ago. And with different structure, different way to play, I think the players, they are getting better and better."

Cole Palmer's strike and an own goal were enough for Chelsea to win their quarterfinal clash against Palmeiras on Friday, July 4. Estevao Willian, who played his final match for the Brazilian side before heading to Stamford Bridge this summer, scored the lone goal for Palmeiras.