Every word Enzo Maresca said on Liverpool, Chelsea injuries and Cole Palmer return

Enzo Maresca has just completed his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League fixture with Liverpool on Saturday evening.

The Blues welcome the Reds to Stamford Bridge as the hosts look for their first league win in over a month. Maresca has just previewed what is such a significant match in his latest press conference. Below, Bobby Vincent has put together a full transcript:

Are your team where you thought they'd be in terms of performance and points?

I think we started very, very well in terms of results and performance. The first four or five games and then probably the rest of the games, we didn't get the points that we wanted for sure, but we already analysed the reason why. Again, I think most of the games where we didn't get the points is because they were games very complicated for us in terms of, unfortunately, red cards. But no doubt that also the injury situation, we have at this moment I think eight players out. So it's a mixed combination, but we don't have any doubt that slowly, slowly we're going to be again where we need to be.

Have you spoken to your players about the red cards?

You have to analyse case for case. When it's a red card for bad intention or for bad discipline, it's different compared to my United red card or Brighton red card. In that case, it's just the decision that you have to take in two seconds, three seconds. Do I do foul or not? It's difficult. So we analyse case for case. Again, I don't see any discipline problem, even if we consider injury for a red card. That is not something normal. But again, it's for different reasons.

You may well start a young and inexperienced defence on Saturday. Do you trust your youngsters?

Again, I think it's a fact that I really trust the young players. Not just the young players that we buy, but also the young players from the academy. Again, we gave games last year to Josh Acheampong, having players on the bench, senior players. So that shows that I trust young players. The same thing happened with Ty [George]. So I really trust all the players we have. As you said, in this moment we have four or five defenders out. But we're going to try to adapt and find the right solution for tomorrow.

Just finally from me, I think about three weeks ago you said that it would be impossible for anybody to stop Liverpool...

You must be misunderstanding me. If you review the interview, I said if they continue the same way, that there were five games, five wins. So if a team continues to win, win, win, win...

You still said the words, they'll be impossible to stop. You haven't had my question yet, so you don't actually know what I'm going to ask you. I tend to find that a little bit more useful. Do you feel the last week has shown that there is a vulnerability about Liverpool this season?

There is vulnerability about anyone in the world, not just Liverpool. But if a team wins all the games, it's impossible to catch them. When we did the interview, after five games, they had 15 points. My words was if they continue in the same way, it's impossible to catch them. Now they lost one game, two games, that shows that there is vulnerability. This is something, for me, from not just Liverpool, but from all the teams in the world. And then the Premier League, you know how difficult it is. You can drop points against anything.

What have you learned about Liverpool from playing in the last season to this season?

Yes, we played both games, I think, against Liverpool very good. Unfortunately, we lost away and we won at home. But every game is different, especially from one season to the other one is different. We're going to try to prepare the game in the best way we can for tomorrow. Try to win the game. Even if in the last one or two games they dropped points, they showed the reason why they won last year the Premier League. And they're going to be there until the end.

How has your offside trap evolved?

It's just to try to continue to evolve. As you said, I think our defensive line was very good last year. I think in terms of goals conceded after [Liverpool,] Arsenal and Man City, it was Chelsea that were so sure that we did something important. But it's not enough. You have always to try to evolve, to try to add things, how we can do better. And now we are trying to do exactly the same.

How was Benoit Badiashile's impact on Tuesday?

Since I joined the club, every time I spoke about Benoit, I always said that for me personally, he's an important player. He's a very good player. Unfortunately, he has been injured a few times since I joined the club. But again, before the last injury, he was playing almost every game. Before, in the Club World Cup, he had an injury against Benfica. But now he's back. It's good news for us, for the team-mates, but especially for him. Because when you are out for a long time, a long period, it's always a shame.

What do you think Liverpool's vulnerabilities are that we've maybe seen over the last couple of games?

I don't think that now it's better to play Liverpool just because they draw points in the last two games. It's always a tough game. Always a big team. For me personally, the way they are doing this season, in any case, is fantastic. Especially after [Diogo] Jota's tragedy. I live exactly the same when I was a player 20 years ago. It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training ground and you see every day that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, even better than good, even more. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy.

You've talked about this season so far. How would you describe it for you personally? Has it been enjoyable? Has it been frustrating?

For sure, I would like to have all my players available. It's a nice job for me. You can decide which one is the best for that game. But overall it's been enjoyable. It's normal. I'm not thinking to be Chelsea manager and always that everything is in place and everything is working well. You need to adjust, you need to evolve. I feel good.

Obviously Marc Guiu was recalled from a loan. He hasn't featured since he came back. So what is the situation with him?

Marc is working well this week. He has worked very, very good. Much better compared to the first weeks when he came back. But for sure he's going to get minutes with us and he's going to play games.

And Estevao, have you considered starting him as a number 10 with Cole Palmer not playing?

We consider all our players to give them minutes and all positions. But also I think Estevao reminded me a lot of Cole when Cole was with me in the U23s at City. And when he was with us in the first team. I think Cole's path has been similar to Estevao's path in terms of starting wide as a winger. And then slowly, slowly you can move inside. Premier League is completely different compared to other countries in the world. If you want to play in the middle you need to be physically prepared. I think Cole now is like that. In the past he needed to develop that. And I see Estevao exactly in the same way.

Are Liverpool as defending champions the measuring stick for Chelsea?

I consider them the best team in this moment in England. The reason why is because they showed that and because they won the Premier League. Where we are in this moment, I think we are improving. We are trying to solve problems in terms of finding solutions. But for sure, as I said at the beginning of the press conference, I think at the end we are going to be there.

Is there a risk that Guiu's development is being compromised by having another season on the bench? When he presumably would have been playing quite regularly.

I don't think so. Personally, I don't think so because he's back with a big club like Chelsea. Again, he's going to get minutes with us, no doubt. And also for me, the development of a young player is not just about the game when you are so young. It's also about the training session and the day-by-day. And I think it's important that he's with us and he's working with us.

Team news? Is Palmer still due back after the break?

Cole is still out. We have Trev [Chalobah] suspended. We have seven or eight players out.

Just quickly on Cole, is it still looking like first game back after the international break?

I don't have any update at the moment. We have a meeting this week to see how it is.