Andrey Santos singles out Chelsea ‘superstar’ still adapting to life at the club

Chelsea are gearing up for what could be Liam Rosenior’s toughest test yet as manager, with a trip to Naples to face Antonio Conte’s side in a pivotal Champions League match.

The Blues are one of eight teams currently sitting on 13 points in the 36-team table. But, only three of the eight teams with 18 points are inside the top eight after seven games, which is where you want to be for automatic qualification.

Teams placed ninth through 24th have to go through a play-off round to reach the knockout stages. That makes Wednesday night’s match absolutely crucial for Chelsea if they want to secure a spot in the last 16 without any extra matches.

With fixtures piling up, Rosenior will be keen to avoid adding two more games from a play-off round. To do that, he will need to outmanoeuvre Antonio Conte this time around.

Team selection will play a big part, and the Englishman has some decisions to make heading into Wednesday night. He has made at least five changes in every game so far, but do not be surprised if there are fewer this time around.

Andrey Santos admits Estevao is still getting to grips with life at Chelsea

The win over Palace featured names like Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Marc Cucurella – players expected to start against Napoli tomorrow.

Andrey Santos and Estevao are more on the fringes. Both played against Palace, but whether they feature again in Italy is up in the air. Even so, both made strong cases for another look.

The No. 17 put in a standout shift with his 91% passing rate to go along with a real presence in midfield. As for Estevao, he chipped in with a goal and an assist just when Pedro Neto’s form has dipped.

And Santos spoke well of his countryman before Wednesday’s clash.

“I told Estevao he is a superstar! It’s not easy when you come from another country, another language, it’s hard, but he is doing very well. I am so happy to play with him here and in the national team,” he said.

What Andrey Santos said about Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior

Joe Cole has noted that while Rosenior’s and Maresca’s tactical approaches may not be vastly different, their styles of management and media presence certainly are.

The Italian manager often let his emotions get the better of him, and it ultimately cost him his job.

In contrast, the Briton comes across as calm, thoughtful, and composed. Even though Gary Lineker joked about his “man-age” remarks, Simon Jordan has called him one of the smarter managers around.

Santos explained how Rosenior has made an impact at Chelsea, while also speaking highly of Maresca (via FootballLondon): “He’s given me a lot of confidence, but it’s not only to me, it’s a lot to the other players as well.

“But it’s easier for me because I know him, I know that he wants every player to work hard and fight with an elite mentality to win games and trophies,” Santos said on Rosenior. Then, on Maresca:

“The previous coach [Enzo Maresca] is a top coach. I worked hard with him and I learned a lot from him. This is football; these things can happen.”