Alonso: Joao Felix can play tomorrow, but may not report to Brazil national team

On September 19, Chelsea will face Brentford away in the 5th round of the Premier League. On the eve of the match, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca attended a press conference. This article covers the first half of the press conference.

Hello Alonso, there has been a significant change in the club's ownership. Do you consider this a positive development?

Yes, when there is a major change in the club's management structure and ownership, I think it's an important day for the club. There are a few points I'd like to make: First, I am very grateful for the work done by the former owners. Although I wasn't here at the time, I know they played an important role.

And now that Behdad Eghbali has more control—almost full control—I think it's beneficial to have a clear leader and unified direction. My relationship with Behdad is very good; he personally came to Madrid to explain this plan to me and persuade me to join Chelsea, and we have been working together very well. As I mentioned before, this is the first stage of our squad-building plan, and it has been very effective. Now we will continue moving forward together.

The club's ambition is very clear. How confident are you that Chelsea will soon be competing for major trophies again?

This is why we are here: to work hard and get back to a competitive position where we can challenge for titles. We know how fierce the competition is, but there is no doubt about the club's ambition, its huge potential, the caliber of our players, and our current standing. We know very well where we want to be. We know that restructuring and building takes time, but the ambition to pursue this goal is very clear and firm.

What can you tell us about Joao Felix, given that he will not be playing for the Brazilian national team in the coming weeks?

Regarding injuries and squad status, we will have our final pre-match training tomorrow, so currently no one has been completely ruled out for Friday's match. I prefer to be cautious, and we will wait until after tomorrow's training to make final decisions on each player.

Can you confirm Joao's specific injury situation? Is there a possibility that he could play for Chelsea against Brentford tomorrow, but then not report to the Brazilian national team?

That possibility does exist.

As for Moises Caicedo, you previously said you hoped he would play this week. Is he getting closer to returning?

He is indeed getting closer to returning. Tomorrow we will make a final decision on the entire squad for the away match against Brentford.

Reece James did not participate in the open training session we saw on Tuesday. Is there any concern there?

No, that was just a targeted adjustment to Tuesday's training plan. We will closely monitor his recovery and make a decision tomorrow.

On the positive side, are Moisés Caicedo and Jordan Henderson getting closer to returning? Could they be considered for selection tomorrow?

A final decision will be made tomorrow... Sorry, my friend, I'm really sorry (laughs)! I keep repeating myself, but your questions are all the same! The players themselves know very well. We need to evaluate all decisions through this final training session, and tomorrow we will determine the squad for the match against Brentford.

So far, you've made quite a few adjustments to the defense in every Premier League match. What do you hope to see from the defense tomorrow? How do you ensure the defense remains more stable?

Well, defending is the collective responsibility of all 11 players, not just the back four or five, regardless of formation. It's about the entire team, about how we compete, and how we adapt to different phases of the game. When we are leading or when the game is tight, we need to maintain the same competitive mindset to deal with different situations. We know it's very difficult to control an entire 90-minute game in the Premier League, but being able to adapt and maintain necessary urgency and focus is crucial.

Of course, it's been about four to five weeks since we started, and this will be our seventh game in this phase. This is an extremely crucial match because it's the last game before the international break, because it's the Premier League, and because it's an away match against Brentford—which is always a very tough challenge. We must play a high-standard, high-intensity game.

Finally, going back to Joao's question: it's clear that missing last summer's Copa America was a huge blow for him. Will he also feel this is a setback, not being able to report to the national team this time?

No, he has moved on from that disappointment. So far, he has shown an extremely strong desire and determination to have a great season, so the summer is now very far away.

What about the upcoming international break? Will he feel regret that he cannot report to the Brazilian team now?

He will definitely be selected in the future; I am very sure he will return to the national team later.

Hello Alonso, I know you just mentioned that defending is about the whole team, but regarding Moises Caicedo: he hasn't started a Premier League game so far this season, yet the team's results are notably better when he plays. So, from the perspective of team balance and his protective presence in midfield, how much does his presence help the defense when he starts for Chelsea?

Caicedo is one of the top midfielders in the world, and there's no doubt that with him in midfield, everything improves—we know that. But for now, tomorrowwe'llsee. He hasn't been able to play before, so we had to adapt and cope with that situation. When he is able to play, we will benefit from his individual ability, his contribution to team balance, and his presence in midfield. I think he has a great inspiring effect on his teammates, and I am very much looking forward to his return.

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