The duo were among the absentees for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League tie in Switzerland, with Maresca saying before that game they did not travel as part of the squad as a precaution.

However, when we return to domestic action at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, our head coach expects both players to be available for selection again.

‘I think so. Malo and Pedro, they are both going to be okay for Palace,’ said the Italian.

Those two returns would be good news for Maresca, who is set to be without both Reece James and Romeo Lavia.

Our head coach believes we will face a difficult task against a Crystal Palace side who thrashed Norwich City 4-0 in their own midweek Carabao Cup tie, despite back-to-back defeats in their opening league games.

‘They are a very good team,’ he continued. ‘I watched the two games that they lost, they didn’t deserve it against Brentford and West Ham, and they finished last year very good.

‘So I don’t think it is a bad moment for them, just a matter of sometimes you are maybe a bit lucky or unlucky and you win a game or lose a game.

‘But for sure they are very dangerous, they have quality up front, they have good players in the middle, lots of fantastic players.’

Maresca is also pleased attention can now be fully focused on the pitch, following the passing of last night’s transfer deadline, bringing certainty for him and his contemporaries at other Premier League clubs.

He said: ‘It’s not only me, I think it’s the same for all the head coaches. Once the transfer window is closed you know exactly who the players you have and can work with are.

‘I didn’t spend the day-by-day stressed about transfers, to be honest. Being on the touchline is probably more stressful than the transfer window, especially the last 20 minutes of a game like Thursday’s.

‘When we have some news, okay, otherwise I just think about the next training session, the next game. We had four games this month, which can be good because you just focus on the game without thinking about who’s coming, who’s going.

‘Before deadline day I had already organised the day’s training session and we were already preparing for the Crystal Palace game.’