ENZO MARESCA loves Jadon Sancho — but it is tough love.
Chelsea’s boss revealed he called his final and most high-profile signing of the summer transfer window to lay down a few ground rules even before the deal was done.
Winger Sancho is set to feature at Bournemouth tonight having joined on loan from Manchester United.
It was there where the one-time England international, 24, fell out with coach Erik ten Hag amid criticism of the player’s attitude and effort.
Maresca, 44, feels signing Sancho is zero risk but also warned him and fellow new man Joao Felix the hard work starts now — and will not stop.
The Italian said: “Listen, we have Jadon, Joao, these kinds of players.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
“Before they joined I had a chat with them and one of my messages was if you come here and don’t work properly you are not going to play.
“Before they arrived the message was clear. For Jadon. For Joao.
“But I said, ‘the reason I’m speaking to you is that I really like you. If you come here in the way that we want, we are happy.
“But if you come there and don’t work hard, it’s better if you don’t come’.”
Most read in Football
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
Sancho has not played a Premier League game since August last year. He was banished to train alone by fuming Ten Hag for the first half of last season thanks to their fallout.
Sancho thrived on loan at his old club Borussia Dortmund from January as they finished runners-up in the Champions League.
Maresca will pick up the baton as he strives to make Chelsea a force once again.
He added: “I don’t consider Jadon a risk because I consider Jadon as a player who can help us.
“I don’t have any idea about what happened with Erik. I can just judge the player in the weeks he has been with us and he has been perfect.
“If the players perform during the week then they have a chance.
“This is for everybody, if they don’t work properly they are not going to play.
“Jadon has been working well with us since he arrived. I love Jadon, I love the players we have.
“I knew him in terms of a player and what I have seen in two weeks is exactly what I expected.
“With the way we play he is that kind of player who can help us a lot, especially in the last third — when we arrive there so many times and need more quality, more patience, more accuracy.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Forward Cole Palmer is fit again after missing England’s Nations League games with a minor hamstring problem.
Midfielder Romeo Lavia has also recovered from a knock.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
