The fact Maresca speaks in glowing terms of the young striker, who joined the Blues in the summer from Barcelona, despite his lack of Premier League minutes shows how valued the Spaniard is.

And speaking ahead of our upcoming clash with West Ham, Maresca acknowledged the 19-year-old's impressive progression since the start of the campaign.

Our No.38 has enjoyed an impressive rise from Barcelona's La Masia academy to the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge, and since joining the Blues Guiu has showcased significant development, catching the attention of supporters and Chelsea coaching staff.

Guiu's impact has been most evident in the Conference League, in which he netted six goals in six league phase matches. A memorable first-half hat-trick against Shamrock Rovers in December 2024 highlighted his impressive offensive prowess in front of goal.

Maresca has been particularly impressed with Guiu's progress, giving his thoughts on the youngster during his pre-match press conference at Cobham.

‘Marc is improving a lot, to be honest,’ Maresca said. ‘He is doing fantastic. Day after day he is more ready for that kind of game.’

While Guiu's contributions in domestic competitions have been more limited, Maresca highlighted the competitive nature of the squad and the challenges of team selection while also outlining Marc is making steps in the right direction.

He added: ‘Sometimes the decision I take is because I see something. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. But Marc, day after day, is more ready.’