Enzo Maresca insists he has no plans to see Christopher Nkunku leave Chelsea in the January transfer window.
The 27-year-old, who was signed in a £52 million deal from RB Leipzig last year, has struggled for playing time this season, starting just one of Chelsea’s 12 games in the Premier League.
Reports have claimed that Nkunku is unhappy with his situation at Chelsea and is considering his options ahead of January.
Maresca is adamant that the French forward will receive more playing time over the winter period but insists his Chelsea side still need ‘balance’ in their attack.
‘Joao Felix played a Premier League game the other day against Leicester and Christopher, for sure, is going to play Premier League games,’ Maresca said on Wednesday evening.
‘But we have many players, we try to share minutes with all of them. The intention, the target is to keep all of them happy, even knowing that sometimes it’s not possible.
‘Now is not the moment or the time to think about January, we are still at the end of November, we still have many, many games, especially in December, then we will see.’
Asked if Nkunku had indicated to him that he is unhappy at Chelsea, Maresca replied: ‘No, not at all.
‘I spoke with Christo days ago, he didn’t say that he’s not happy.
‘For sure, he would like to play more minutes, like many, many players.
‘But as I said, we have so many games especially now in December, the other day the last game against Leicester Joao Felix played, Enzo [Fernandez] played, Benoit Badiashile played.
‘I’ve said since we started, for me there are not two squads. The squad is only one, the ones who play in the Premier League can play in the Conference League, and those who play in the Conference League can play in the Premier League. The proof has been against Leicester.’
Asked if Nkunku remains part of his plans, Maresca said: ‘Absolutely, yes.
‘The problem with Chris… it’s not a problem, it’s the same issue and the same thing we mentioned many times about Joao. If you play with Cole [Palmer], if you play with Joao, if you play with Christo, if you play with Noni [Madueke], if you play with Jadon [Sancho]… who is defending?
‘Because their skills are not defending, it’s to attack. We love them, we want them but also we need balance.
‘The last game we tried with Joao and Cole together. Hopefully next game or soon we can try Christo and Cole, Christo and Joao, for sure, and the reason why is because we have so many games.
‘But I completely want Christo to stay with us. I don’t have an idea to allow him to go in January.
‘Probably the best moment from Christo with us has been in pre-season, that for me he was playing in his position as a No.10 between the striker between the lines.
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‘Then since we started [the season] he’s playing as a No.9 with us, he playing against City the first Premier League game he played from the start as a winger, knowing it’s not his best position, we know Christo’s best position is between the line as a No.10, but Cole is playing there.
‘We are not going to play many games with Cole and Christo, or with Cole and Joao, we played the other day but you need balance.
‘Leicester’s plan won’t be the same as Aston Villa’s plan, or maybe yes, we don’t know because now we are focused on this game.
‘They are all fantastic players, they are all going to play games, no doubt. But not every game.’
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