Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell will 'probably' request Chelsea exit, Marc Guiu may go on loan - Enzo Maresca

Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka have struggled for minutes for Chelsea this season under manager Enzo Maresca, and the Italian conceded they would likely want to leave in the January transfer window in search of game time. He also said that Marc Guiu could be one of several youngsters who are keen on leaving the club on loan to play more regularly.

Highlights: Chelsea hit Shamrock Rovers for five to remain perfect

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Enzo Maresca believes Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka will ask to leave Chelsea in January, while others such as Marc Guiu could depart on loan.

Chilwell has been one of the victims of Maresca’s current selection preferences, and has just one substitute appearance to his name this season - in the Carabao Cup against Barrow.

The defender, who turns 28 on December 21, had trained apart from the senior squad when he appeared set to leave in the summer, but is back with the senior players after failing to find a new club.

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Chukwuemeka joined from Aston Villa in 2022, but has struggled to break into the first team. He did not play in the UEFA Conference League match against Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, but featured in the competition earlier in the season.

Maresca spoke at a press conference on Friday, before the weekend’s match against Everton, and predicted both players would try to leave.

He said: "There are players that unfortunately didn't play a lot with us in all the competitions, like Chilwell, like Carney.

"Probably they are the first [to say] that they want to leave because they train every day, because they want to play games and if they don't play games probably they are thinking of leaving.

"Each player is a bit [of a] different situation, so we're going to see if some of them are coming and knocking on the door to say 'I want to leave' or something like that. We will try to find a solution."

Maresca on Chelsea's win over Shamrock Rovers and hat-trick hero Guiu's future

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Other youngsters who are on the fringes of contention for Premier League involvement, such as Thursday night's hat-trick hero Guiu, Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George, might be allowed to go out on loan, though Maresca would prefer they stayed at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian said: "I think with young players like Marc, like Josh, like Ty, for me, the best thing for them is to be with us.

"They can understand every day the way we want to play, they can grow, we can teach them how we want them to play, so I think it's better if they stay with us.

"Then it depends a little bit also on the desire of the players. If, in this case, Marc's desire is to get more minutes and to play more, we sit with him, and we decide together."

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James welcomed back to training

Injury-hit defender Reece James is also expected to be back in first-team training as he continues his return from a hamstring injury.

However, the full-back is not expected to make an imminent return to playing.

Maresca said: "It doesn't mean he's going to be with us on Sunday or next Sunday.

"The plan is part of the session he'll be with the team, then from there, to try to build the right conditions for him."

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Thoughts?