The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Club

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling message in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.

However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days at the organization.

"How the squad are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.

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

When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Injury and Suspension Crisis

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was hard to discern whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.