Felix has been an unused substitute in each of our past three league fixtures, but in between them has joined Nkunku in leading the Chelsea attack, notably netting a brace in the big away win at Panathinaikos. Since joining from Atletico Madrid in the summer, the Portuguese is yet to start a league fixture, but Maresca is adamant his time will come.

‘I feel a shame for Joao and I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League, but we need defensive balance and we cannot play with Joao, Cole [Palmer], Christo,’ said the head coach, having discussed Nkunku in a previous answer.

‘I’d like to put all of them on the pitch but then you need to defend, and you need the right balance. I don’t have any doubts that if Joao keeps working well, he will find his moment in the Premier League.’

The same goes for Nkunku, Maresca emphasised. The Manchester United game at the weekend was the first in the Premier League this season Nkunku has not played a minute in, although most of his game time so far has come off the bench. In the EFL Cup and the Conference League, the Frenchman has been prolific, however. He already has eight goals to his name in all competitions.

‘Christo, every time he plays, he scores, and he does well,’ noted Maresca.

‘Also, he was probably our best player in pre-season, no doubt. He was playing then as an attacking midfielder and now we are using him as a nine, which we all know isn’t his position, he’s more a second striker or between the lines.

‘But I try to find solution and balance with all of them but not all of them can be in their position, they have to adapt a bit. It’s for Joao, Christo, Misha [Mudryk, who Maresca was also asked about], they are all players who deserve more chances in the Premier League, but there are also more players who deserve that.’