Chelsea are just one game away from achieving their goals for the season and finishing in the top five in the Premier League this season.
It has always been stated that Enzo Maresca was asked to deliver Champions League football in his first season as a top flight manager, and a win against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the season will secure just that.
All three European competitions are still on the table for Chelsea though, and they will need their best players available for the final game of the campaign.
This includes Enzo Fernandez, with reports stating that Fernandez has been playing through illness in the last two league games.
Jamie Redknapp is worried about Chelsea’s Champions League chances
Gary Neville has predicted Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football on Sunday, with them needing to pull out their biggest win of the season at the City Ground.
The precarious position the Blues find themselves in is worrying for Jamie Redknapp too. He told Sky Sports Premier League that he thinks the difficulty of Chelsea’s final game of the season could be what stops them finishing in the top five.
He said: “I think Chelsea have got the toughest game – to go to Forest, that’s a really difficult game. If they can get three points there, obviously they’ve given themselves Champions League football. It’s going to be tight, this – anything can still happen.
“They’re the team that I worry about the most, going to Nottingham Forest. That result today has given them real belief and hope, but even if they win it doesn’t guarantee they go into the Champions League.”
Maresca’s Chelsea future after Nottingham Forest game
Given Chelsea’s season rests on the last game of the season, there could be a limbo feeling surrounding the security of the manager’s job.
However, it emerged recently that Maresca is safe no matter where Chelsea finish at the end of the season, despite being looked at by other sides.
It has been reported Maresca has been recommended to Roma by former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri, who is set to step down from his managerial role after leading their turnaround in Serie A this season.
There have been clear signs of growth in the Chelsea side since the Italian took over, and replacing him at this stage would not be a wise move from Todd Boehly and co.
