'Difficult to change': Enzo Maresca's brutal response to question on why £89m Chelsea man is struggling

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says star forward Mykhailo Mudryk is intrinsically a very reserved person, which makes it difficult to change. Chelsea broke the bank to sign Mudryk ahead of Arsenal in a deal reportedly worth £89m, but since then, it has been tough for the Ukrainian.

He has managed just six league appearances so far and has only one goal in the Conference League. A few weeks ago, the manager said Mudryk was one of the players who needed to improve, and now, ahead of the Conference League game against Noah, he hinted that some of the issues are linked to the player's personality.

He told reporters at the club’s training ground in Cobham: "On the ball, I think we need our wingers arriving in the box—like the goal he scored against Panathinaikos, or the shot that hit the post from [Pedro] Neto against Newcastle. We want our wingers arriving in the box. That is something they struggled with at the beginning, but they are now doing much better.

"On the ball, I always say the same:”I like wingers to take on defenders one-on-one, but when there is no chance, do not force it. If there are two defenders there, don't force it—start again. That is something we need to learn to manage. And, for sure, defensively, sometimes when you face a full-back like [Tino] Livramento, who attacks a lot, you have to follow him. You need to contribute both ways, attacking and defending.

"We are the way we are. It is difficult to change people. We can try to improve people, but if you are shy or not shy, this is something that is inside of you, and it’s difficult to change. With Misha, you can see he looks a little bit shy, but overall, when he is with us, he is okay."

Chelsea have improved massively since the start of this campaign, and part of that is due to the fact they have a squad of 24-25 players, allowing the manager to heavily rotate and keep the squad fresh. They have won every game in the Europa Conference League and will all but secure qualification to the next round if they win tomorrow night.