"Yeah, for sure, it is a shame, no doubt" - Enzo Maresca gives strong reply when asked if Chelsea made a mistake in January transfer window

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has insisted that he does not regret letting Joao Felix leave on loan to AC Milan in the January window. The Italian tactician's comments come after the Blues lost strikers Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to injury in their 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham United.

Speaking to the media after crashing out of the FA Cup, Maresca stated that it was shameful for Chelsea not to progress into the fifth round. However, he is adamant that they can do well this season and focus on the two competitions left. He said (via Tribal Football):

"I don't think we miss Joao. Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there. The only thing I can say is no-one would predict on deadline day we had two strikers injured. This is something that is difficult to think. It unfortunately happened but we have Nico to be back very soon.

"Yeah, for sure, it is a shame, no doubt. We see how complicated this competition is. We see big clubs against Championship, League One, how difficult this competition is. It is a big shame for us but probably, as I said, if there is something positive it is that we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference, especially in the Premier League. Hopefully we can continue our journey there that for me, has been very, very good until now and hopefully we can finish well."

Chelsea took a 1-0 lead in their FA Cup game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, February 8, before the home side bounced back to seal a 2-1 win. The loss saw the Blues knocked out of the cup competition in the fourth round – similar to the Carabao Cup earlier this season.

Enzo Maresca's plan for the rest of Chelsea's season

Enzo Maresca has claimed that the season has not been a failure despite the poor run since Christmas. The Italian manager believes that they are doing well and can now focus on the Premier League and UEFA Conference League. He said (via Tribal Football):

"For me, a good season is seeing the team improving game after game; go through bad moments through difficulty - it is the only thing I think that can bring this club to compete for something important. This is exactly what I think. As I said, we can now be focused on the Premier League and Conference. Hopefully we can finish in the right way."

Chelsea face Brighton at the AmEx on Friday, February 14, in the Premier League. They have Aston Villa, Southampton and Leicester City coming up in the league next.