Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca defends his rotation policy after criticism from legendary Wayne Rooney

Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, addressed the press conference two days ahead of the Premier League clash against Wolves on Sunday, November 9 at Stamford Bridge. The 45-year-old defended his rotation

policy at Chelsea after the criticism of former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney following a tough 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash in Baku in which he made seven changes in the starting lineup.

Notably, Enzo Maresca has implemented the rotation policy to the tilt in the fifth consecutive match in all competitions by making seven or more changes in the playing XI. The Chelsea boss also became defensive about playing Jorrel Hato at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium after he was directly at fault for both goals scored by Qarabag, which led to the London-based club coming home without a win from Azerbaijan.

After Wayne Rooney stated that the senior players at Chelsea should “question” the team selections made by Enzo Maresca. In response, the Italian was quoted as saying in the press conference, as per BBC Sport, “We are in an era where anyone can say what they want. Since I joined the club, it's my view to rotate players. No-one complains when you win. When you don't win I can understand no-one is agreeing.”

Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in July to start off their season

The 2025-26 campaign for Chelsea began in June itself, just a few weeks after the conclusion of the last season and they won the newly expanded edition of the coveted FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in July before preparing for the league and other commitments, which began in August. He also said about his policy, “I loved rotation as a player. Football is a bit different compared to years ago in terms of physicality and intensity. It's impossible to play with the same players 65 games in one season.”

Moreover, Chelsea are currently in 12th place in the UCL standings with seven points in four matches while in the Premier League, they have 17 points to their name in 10 matches, sandwiched between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in eighth place.