Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.

The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the squad are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many issues, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.