Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was forced to miss his post-match press conference after falling ill moments following the full-time whistle of the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Assistant Willy Caballero stepped in to handle media duties.
Caballero revealed that Maresca had been unwell for two days but still managed to lead training and the match. 'Enzo isn't feeling well. He didn't feel well the last two days but still made training and made the game today,' Caballero said. 'I took his position just to clarify that he isn't feeling well enough to do the rest of the stuff that the manager has to do.'
In the match, Chelsea came from behind twice. David Brooks opened the scoring for Bournemouth, but Cole Palmer equalised from the penalty spot. Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea ahead, only for Justin Kluivert to level shortly after, leaving the hosts frustrated. The result leaves Chelsea fifth in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool.
Caballero reflected on the performance, stating, 'It was a crazy first half. We turned the score around but then immediately conceded a goal, so that's something we need to improve. The players showed up and created chances, but unfortunately we couldn't win the game. We did better things than Bournemouth but only have one point.' He added, 'We still need to learn to kill games and maintain the score when we are winning.'
Chelsea will hope Maresca recovers in time for their next fixture, a challenging trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Sunday.
