“He has to understand he needs to be consistent during the week” - Enzo Maresca sets challenge for Chelsea star despite heroics in 2-0 win

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged Noni Madueke to be more consistent after he scored in their 2-0 win against Servette. The Blues defeated the Swiss outfit in the first leg of the Europa Conference League playoffs at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, August 22.

Maresca and company were under pressure to deliver a result following their 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend. They were able to get across the line, with Christopher Nkunku breaking the deadlock with a 50th-minute penalty. Madueke then scored in the 76th minute, smashing the ball into the roof of the net following a good run.

Madueke's future at Chelsea is uncertain amid the signings of Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, which could see his minutes drastically reduced. During the post-match press conference, Maresca said (as per Football London):

"I really like Noni. The only problem with him probably is that he has to understand he needs to be consistent during the week; every training, every training, every training. But he is a good player and he is doing well with us."

When asked if he wanted Madueke to stay, he replied:

"Yeah, absolutely. The reality is until the transfer window is open, anything can happen. But for sure, Noni is the type of player I like."

The 22-year-old right-winger is yet to fully get into his groove at Stamford Bridge, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in 47 appearances across competitions to date.

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"We are going to try and help him change" - Enzo Maresca addresses Mykhailo Mudryk's struggles at Chelsea

In the aforementioned press conference, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca also addressed Mykhailo Mudryk's struggles at the club following their win against Servette. He claimed Mudryk's errors stem from his decision-making rather than his technical ability.

Maresca said:

"I think this is Misha, this is Mudryk, in terms of not only tonight, but in terms of since he joined the club. I think he had some good moments and then some moments like flipping a coin. You don't know if it's one thing or the other thing. This is Misha. If he can become more consistent, he can take one step forward."

He added:

"We are going to try and help him change. He needs to try and understand that we are going to give him the ball in the last third. And when he's there [it's about] taking the right decision. For me, most of the mistakes from Misha is not about the quality or the technical mistake, it's about the choice.

Mudryk played all 90 minutes during Chelsea's 2-0 win against Servette but failed to offer much. He failed to land a single shot on target from three attempts and lost four duels out of 10.

The Ukraine international has failed to justify his reported transfer fee of €100 million (including add-ons) since joining Chelsea in January 2023. The 23-year-old has scored just seven goals and provided four assists in 59 appearances across competitions for the Blues.