Back in October, Maresca publicly criticised James for his failure to lead the side behind the scenes during his injury absence, admitting he “expected more” from a player who has been at the club since the age of six.

Enzo Maresca has said that Chelsea's form has "100%" been affected by transfer speculation, claiming some of his players may not have been fully focussed.

Sections of the Chelsea support have lost patience with Sanchez, leading Maresca to urge the Stamford Bridge crowd to get behind whoever he chooses on Monday night. He did admit, however, that taking a struggling player out of the firing line could prove a wise course of action.

Enzo Maresca is going to leave it late before deciding whether to start Robert Sanchez in goal in Chelsea’s game against West Ham on Monday night. Sanchez, 27, has been first-choice keeper since Maresca took charge in the summer but has become a target of abuse from the club’s fans after making several high-profile mistakes.

Given that the West London side has spent a quarter of a billion on its midfield, it is truly bizarre that they are left with such a weak option in this position.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has compared forward Cole Palmer's influence on the team to that of Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah on Liverpool.

Enzo Maresca has ruled out recalling Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is on loan at Bournemouth, but admitted that Chelsea No.1 Robert Sanchez could be dropped.