“I know that he has been vital to our team attack but he can’t continue to behave in this manner. He’s young and he needs to learn discipline. He’s going to be on the bench till I see that he has changed he attitude” – This is according to Enzo Maresca as he reveals he benched a key Chelsea star due to poor attitude in training, saying the player ‘must improve’.

Enzo Maresca spoke to the media ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming clash with Sunderland, where he made a revealing comment about striker Marc Guiu.

The young forward earned his first start since being recalled from Sunderland in August, but Maresca explained that his lack of opportunities before now was due to poor effort in training.

Maresca admits he criticised Guiu’s training commitment

It had puzzled many fans that Chelsea brought Guiu back yet didn’t give him any playing time, especially when the squad was short of a true number nine. Maresca has now shed light on the situation, explaining that the striker’s training attitude had fallen below expectations:

“We spoke with Marc two weeks ago. I told him I wasn’t happy with how he was training and that he needed to change. He did, and that’s why he got his chance. It’s as simple as that.”

When asked what, specifically, he didn’t like about Guiu’s performances in training, Maresca replied that it was “in all aspects.”

This isn’t the first time the Chelsea manager has publicly addressed a player’s training standards — he made a similar decision last year when he dropped Noni Madueke for the same reason.

While such honesty is uncommon from managers, Maresca’s approach seems to be working. His players haven’t reacted negatively, and Guiu’s recent improved attitude has already been rewarded with playing time.

Elsewhere in Maresca’s update

The manager also revealed encouraging news about striker Liam Delap, who is recovering faster than expected from a hamstring injury. Maresca suggested Delap could return to action as early as next week — meaning Guiu’s window to impress may close as quickly as it opened.