Nottingham, October 17, 2025 – Enzo Maresca, the Italian architect steering Chelsea’s resurgence, cut a measured figure at Friday’s pre-match presser in Cobham, dissecting the Blues’ battered squad ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League showdown with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. With the Italian sidelined from the touchline – serving a one-match ban for his exuberant pitch invasion during the stoppage-time triumph over Liverpool on October 4 – assistant Willy Caballero steps into the spotlight. Maresca’s team news briefing painted a canvas of cautious optimism: key returns to shore up a defense pockmarked by the international break’s toll, yet persistent absentees and lingering doubts that could dictate the destiny of Chelsea’s top-four push. “We’re building momentum, but injuries test us every step,” Maresca reflected, his voice steady amid the scrum. “Tomorrow’s about focus – Forest are scrapping for Europe too.”
The Liverpool victory – a 2-1 thriller sealed by Estêvão Willian’s 95th-minute poise – catapulted Chelsea to fourth with 18 points from 10 games, three behind leaders Arsenal and riding a wave of Marc Cucurella’s man-marking masterclass on Mohamed Salah. Yet, the international interlude has inflicted fresh wounds, compounding a summer marred by Reece James’ perennial hamstring curse and Cole Palmer’s groin gremlins. Maresca, drawing from his Pep Guardiola apprenticeship at Manchester City, emphasized adaptability in his fluid 4-2-3-1: “We train for scenarios like this. Caballero knows the plan inside out – it’s seamless.”
Bright spots glimmer through the gloom. Captain Reece James, absent from England’s Nations League camp after tweaking a muscle against Liverpool, has resumed full training and could notch his 200th Chelsea outing if selected. The 25-year-old right-back, whose overlapping runs terrorized Forest in a 3-2 Etihad epic last term, represents a “huge boost,” per Maresca. “Reece is sharp – we’ll assess his minutes, but he’s ready to contribute.” Equally encouraging: Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana return from respective knocks, bolstering a backline thinned by Benoît Badiashile’s hamstring strain sustained in the Liverpool melee. Adarabioyo, the £35 million Fulham import, slots seamlessly as a Levi Colwill understudy, while Fofana’s pace – clocked at 35km/h in bursts – could neutralize Forest’s counter-threats led by Chris Wood’s six-goal haul.
Midfield maestro Enzo Fernández, the £107 million World Cup winner, emerges as a pivotal query. The Argentine jetted home early from Argentina’s qualifiers nursing knee inflammation, but Maresca confirmed Thursday’s session inclusion: “Enzo trained fully today – he’s available if he feels right tomorrow.” Fernández’s absence in three of Chelsea’s last five has exposed a creative void, his three goals and 92% pass accuracy the engine room’s pulse. Moisés Caicedo and Pedro Neto, both nursing minor niggles from Ecuador and Portugal duties, join him in late fitness checks post-Friday’s light drill. “Moises and Pedro pushed hard internationally – we’ll decide after recovery,” Maresca added, nodding to Caicedo’s 35-yard Liverpool thunderbolt as a benchmark.
The injury ledger, however, remains a ledger of lament. Cole Palmer, the £42.5 million golden boy whose vision unlocked Estêvão’s winner, remains sidelined with a groin issue, eyeing a mid-November return – a blow that stings deepest. “Cole’s our spark; we miss his magic, but others step up,” Maresca lamented, with Alejandro Garnacho deputizing on the right. Trevoh Chalobah sits out a suspension for accumulated bookings, while Andrey Santos nurses a knock from Brazil U23s. Up top, Liam Delap’s hamstring tear – the £30 million Ipswich coup – rules him out until December, thinning forward options beyond Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke. Long-term, Levi Colwill’s ACL rupture from pre-season lingers, a “devastating” absence for the versatile 22-year-old. “Levi’s progressing, but no risks – he’s vital long-term,” Maresca stressed.
Forest, under Nuno Espírito Santo’s siege mentality, lurk as spoilers. Seventh with 16 points, the Tricky Trees boast an unbeaten home streak of five (three wins, two draws), powered by Morgan Gibbs-White’s creativity and Wood’s aerial menace. A £50 million summer splash on Elliot Anderson and Carlos Miguel has injected bite, but whispers of managerial unrest swirl – Ange Postecoglou’s rumored Spurs raid on Nuno adds intrigue. Chelsea’s historical hex? Unbeaten in the last seven against Forest (five wins, two draws), including a 5-0 thrashing in 2023-24. Maresca, touchline-bound but omnipresent via radio link, invoked that pedigree: “We’ve the quality to dominate – it’s about execution.”
Caballero, the ex-Manchester City shot-stopper turned Maresca lieutenant, brimmed with assurance: “Enzo’s vision is ours. We’ll channel that Liverpool fire.” Predicted XI? Sánchez in goal; James, Fofana, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Garnacho, Fernández, Madueke; Jackson – pending Fernández’s green light. Substitutes like Estêvão, Nkunku (recently recovered from a hamstring tweak), and Guiu offer flair. For Chelsea, perched on Champions League precipice, victory vaults them level with third-placed Liverpool, who host Manchester United in a derby inferno. Defeat? A slip to sixth, Arsenal’s shadow lengthening.
Maresca’s mosaic – returns amid ruins – embodies his philosophy: resilience forged in adversity. As the City Ground beckons under East Midlands skies, Chelsea’s exiled maestro watches from afar, his blueprint etched in blue. Forest beware: even without the conductor, the orchestra plays on. Three points? Imperative. A statement? Inevitable.
