Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has aimed a dig at on-loan forward Joao Felix, saying his team "don't miss" the now-AC Milan player despite their growing injury list.
The west London club were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton on Saturday with Christopher Nkunku making a rare start as the central striker after injuries ruled out Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.
Chelsea signed Felix on a permanent deal at the end of the summer transfer window from Atletico Madrid for a fee of €50 million ($55.4m) including add-ons, though the Portugal international struggled to make a stamp on the Premier League, scoring just once in 12 games and starting just three times.
He was subsequently loaned to Milan on a six-month deal on deadline day, though there is no purchase option included.
"I don't think we miss Joao. He's happy there [Milan] and we're happy that he's happy," Maresca said when asked about his decision to allow Felix to depart.
"Two injuries on the last day of the transfer window. It's a tough one. Nico [Jackson] could be back soon. Sometimes I think we need to play a few games without certain players to realise their importance."
In his news conference ahead of the Brighton game on Friday, Maresca told reporters that the decision to let the player leave was nothing personal and came down to not being able to give the player enough game time.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed an excellent start to his career in Italy, scoring on his debut as Milan beat Roma 3-1 in the Coppa Italia and playing 84 minutes in their 2-0 win over Empoli in Serie A on Saturday.
Chelsea are reportedly preparing a €70 million offer for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports from Spain.The French international was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge before joining Barcelona in 2022, and he has remained a target for Chelsea ever since.Now, the London club is once again eyeing the 26-year-old as a key addition...

Chelsea are interested in signing the AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao at the end of the season. The 25-year-old attacker has done quite well for the Italian club this season, and he has 10 goals and nine assists to his name in all competitions. According to a report from Calciomercato, Chelsea are evaluating a potential move for the player with the help of super agent Jorge Mendes.However, the Blues...

Jules Kounde is being linked with a move to Chelsea once againChelsea are reportedly preparing a massive bid to sign one of Barcelona’s key players, with fresh claims emerging from Spain.The Blues have reignited their interest in Jules Kounde, a player they aggressively pursued when he left Sevilla in 2022. Back then, Chelsea were locked in a fierce transfer battle with Barcelona, only to be...

Helen Flanagan was a soap superstar on Coronation StreetFormer Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has opened up on life as a Premier League footballer's WAG, pointing out that living life in the public eye has its ups and downs.Flanagan, 34, was engaged to former Chelsea, Swansea, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Celtic, Preston and current Bristol Rovers winger Scott Sinclair, who turned 36 on...

Arsenal confident Zubimendi deal is done but must fight off MadridArsenal are reportedly confident they have sealed a deal for Martin Zubimendi, but incoming sporting director Andrea Berti must fight off Real Madrid.Chelsea step up interest in WilliamsChelsea have intensified their pursuit of Athletic Club star Nico Williams, according to TEAMtalk. The Premier League side has reportedly initiated ...

Jack Grealish dedicated his goal to his late brother after scoring in Manchester City’s 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Leicester on Wednesday.The England international hit his first Premier League goal for 16 months, on his first start in the competition since last December, as City moved back into fourth with a comfortable success at the Etihad Stadium.It came on the 25th anniversary of...

David Moyes bemoaned an “offside” goal that gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over Everton – but admitted James Tarkowski was lucky to avoid an early red card on a controversial night at Anfield.Diogo Jota’s 57th-minute goal gave Liverpool a 100th derby win and moved them a step closer to the Premier League title, but both sides were left unhappy with decisions from referee Sam Barr...

Eddie Howe hailed Sandro Tonali’s shooting power after seeing him cap a fine display with a stunning winner to edge Newcastle into the race for Champions League qualification.The 24-year-old Italy international brought an incident-packed encounter to a fitting conclusion with a 74th-minute piledriver which beat goalkeeper Mark Flekken from an improbable angle to hand the Magpies a precious 2...

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery believes Marcus Rashford is “progressively getting better” in all aspects of his game following his first Premier League goal for the club.The on-loan Manchester United forward set Villa on course for a comprehensive 3-0 win over fellow European hopefuls Brighton with a 51st-minute finish at the Amex Stadium.Rashford’s milestone strike came three days ...

Southampton boss Ivan Juric vowed to keep fighting as relegation moved sharply into focus after Crystal Palace denied them only a third Premier League win of the season.Substitute Matheus Franca’s stoppage-time header, to secure a 1-1 draw for the Eagles, means Saints will be down at the weekend if they lose at Tottenham and Wolves beat Ipswich.If relegation is confirmed on Sunday, Southampt...



- 1 Hot WAG flaunts 'astonishing' washboard abs in bikini
- 2 Danny Rohl hails Sheffield Wednesday resilience in draw at Cardiff
- 3 Alfie May double sends Birmingham step closer to Championship
- 4 Marcus Rashford scores first Premier League goal for Villa in win at Brighton
- 5 Ryan Lowe and Conor Hourihane felt team deserved more as Wigan and Barnsley draw
- 6 Mat Sadler hails Taylor Allen set-piece skills after Walsall snatch draw
- 7 Chris Davies says Alfie May’s goal drought never concerned him
- 8 Football fan 'eats' raw pig's head in ultimate insult
- 9 Marcus Rashford still looking to improve after firing Villa into FA Cup semis
- 10 Chelsea prepare €70m for Barcelona defender