Maresca concerned about Chelsea players' health ahead of Djurgården clash on artificial pitch

It's a rare sight to see artificial pitches at the latter stages of European competitions. However, for Scandinavia, where Chelsea have traveled for their first Conference League semi-final against Djurgården, it's business as usual. That’s not the case for the Blues’ head coach, Enzo Maresca.

Details: The London side’s manager voiced his concerns about playing on an artificial surface in Stockholm. Football on such a pitch is a completely different game compared to natural grass.

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Quote: “Of course, it’s a concern. I am a bit worried about it. But right now, we’re not in a position to say we’ll rest players ahead of Sunday. This is a semi-final, it’s a European competition, and we want to reach the final.

It’s a completely different game (playing on an artificial pitch). I know that even some of their own players have complained about the surface in recent weeks. They play on it every week, so for us it’s a whole new challenge. But there are no excuses, no reasons why we won’t compete tomorrow and in the second leg,” Maresca stated.