CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca revealed he started Joao Pedro against Brentford despite the player asking him not to.
The Blues drew 2-2 with the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League.
Chelsea star Joao Pedro asked manager Enzo Maresca not to play against BrentfordREUTERS/David Klein
Maresca revealed Pedro requested sitting the Brentford game out due to fitness issuesREUTERS/David Klein
Pedro, 23, spearheaded the West Londoners’ attack and played for 79 minutes before being replaced by fellow summer signing Alejandro Garnacho, who made his debut for his new club.
But Maresca, 45, admitted during his post-match press conference that the striker requested not to play due to fitness issues.
That is after the Brazil international played in both of his national team’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia during the international break.
However, the Italian tactician turned the forward’s request down as he was short of attacking options following Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich and Liam Delap’s injury.
Maresca was asked whether he picked his team against Brentford with one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League opener at Bayern.
And the ex-Leicester boss used Pedro as an example when explaining how important it is for him to only focus on Chelsea‘s current opponent.
Maresca said: “Joao Pedro before the game asked me, that he was not fit 100 per cent and that it was better that he doesn’t play.
“So if I was thinking about Bayern Munich, then Joao would be on the bench.
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“Joao played because the focus was on tonight. But for sure when you have so many games you have to plan different options.”
Pedro left his mark on the game as he set up Cole Palmer’s equaliser, which cancelled out Kevin Schade’s opener.
Chelsea turned the game on its head with Moises Caicedo, but the Bees levelled things up during stoppage time with Fabio Carvalho.
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