Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has defended his rotation policy following criticism from former England captain Wayne Rooney.
Rooney questioned Maresca’s frequent changes to the starting lineup after the Blues drew 2-2 with Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. The draw marked the fifth consecutive match in which Maresca made at least seven alterations to his starting XI, prompting Rooney to suggest that senior players should ‘question’ the team selections.
According to BBC Sports on Friday, Maresca said the strength of his squad allows him to rotate players and keep everyone fit during what he described as a ‘marathon’ season, which began with winning the Club World Cup in the summer.
‘We are in an era where anyone can say what they want’, he said regarding Rooney’s remarks.
‘Since I joined the club, it’s my view to rotate players. No one complains when you win. When you don’t win, I can understand why no one agrees. I loved rotation as a player. Football is a bit different compared to years ago in terms of physicality and intensity. It’s impossible to play with the same players in 65 games in one season.
‘If you want to see the season like a marathon, when you are in February and March—the last sprint—you have to think differently. But it’s a long race’, he added.
Maresca also defended his decision to play teenage defender Jorrel Hato in Baku, despite the player being at fault for both Qarabag goals.
‘When the rotation is Andrey Santos, a Brazilian international, Jorrel Hato, a Netherlands international, and Estevao, a Brazilian international, then it’s not about rotation.
‘They are talented; they are young. When they are young, you have to give them a chance to make mistakes. But when you don’t win games, the problem is rotation’, he said.
It was reported that former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney urged Chelsea’s senior players to challenge head coach Enzo Maresca over his constant changes to the starting line-up.
