Enzo Maresca taking Club World Cup ‘game by game’ as Benfica clash looms
The Blues secured their place in the last 16 of the tournament with a comfortable 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis on Tuesday.
Chelsea have their sights on the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup as they take on Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday.
The Blues secured their place in the last 16 of the tournament with a comfortable 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis on Tuesday.
As runners-up to Flamengo in Group D, the Londoners booked a clash with the Portuguese giants, who surprisingly beat Bayern Munich to top Group C.
Victory would take Chelsea into the last eight and a meeting with Palmeiras or Botafogo, who face each other in an all-Brazilian clash in Philadelphia.
Yet coach Enzo Maresca is not looking that far ahead yet, nor is he even thinking about the impact his side’s run in the United States could have on their next Premier League campaign.
He insists his only focus is on preparing to face the Lisbon side.
The Italian said: “The next game is on Saturday and from there we’ll take it game by game.
“I’m not thinking about the final or how long it is before the Premier League starts.
“We can’t think about playing in the final if we’re not focused on Benfica and the rest of the games afterwards.
“I like to take it game by game, because I think it’s the right thing to do.”
Maresca has so far been ringing the changes from game to game to spread the workload due to the sweltering conditions.
Further rotation is likely, with Maresca having said not to do so would be “impossible”, but striker Nicolas Jackson remains suspended.
The Senegal international was handed a two-match ban for his straight red card against Flamengo last week.
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That could mean another start for new signing Liam Delap, who has impressed in the tournament so far and scored his first goal for the club against Esperance.
Maresca said: “We know Benfica are a top club with a top manager and first-class players.
“It is going to be very difficult but we were 32 teams, now 16 remains and we hope to go to the quarter-finals.”