Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admitted the “unfair” schedule forced him to leave out-of-form attacker Cole Palmer for the goalless draw at Brentford on Sunday.
Maresca’s team had just 24 hours less than Brentford to prepare for the game following their 1-0 win against fellow Londom rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
Star player Palmer was eventually brought into the contest by Maresca after the hourmark, with his best chance being an effort over the crossbar in stoppage time.
Though Palmer has struggled for a period this term — he has failed to score in his last 12 games in all competitions for the Blues, in what is his second season for the club — Maresca remained insistent that his relegation to the bench was due to fixture congestion.
“We prepared the game in the way it was. We played a demanding game Thursday night,” the Italian said.
“A tricky game, a sunny day, the pitch was dry, they tried to kill the tempo, but we did more than enough to win the game. The only thing we missed was the goal.
“We played Thursday night so not all of them were 100%. The idea was to start in one way and finish in another. The plan nearly worked. Overall the change between the first and second half was not enough to win the game.
“Was the scheduling unfair? I think so, at this stage of the season. We tried to adapt. Thursday night was a demanding game.
“We said many times when this is a transition game, it was demanding, compared to today. Yes, 24 hours makes a difference.”
