Enzo Maresca: Chelsea boss responds to Wayne Rooney criticism about rotation

“Since I joined the club, it has been my view to rotate players. When you win, no one complains. When you don’t win, I can understand that no one disagrees.

“As a player, I loved the rotation. Football is a little different from years ago in terms of physicality and intensity. It is impossible to play 65 games with the same players in a season.

“If you want to see the season like a marathon, you have to think differently in February and March, which is the last sprint. But it’s a long race.”

Maresca defended their decision to play Jorrel Hato in Baku after the young defender was at fault for both Qarabag goals.

“When the rotation is Brazilian international Andrey Santos, Dutch international Jorrel Hato and Brazilian international Estevao, then it is not about rotation,” he said.

“They are talented, they are young. When they are young you have to give them the chance to make mistakes.

“But when you don’t win games, the problem is the rotation.”