Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca highlighted the impressive performance of 18-year-old Tyrique George, who show his ‘personality’ on the pitch, despite the Blues’ 2-1 loss to Servette on Thursday night.
George, who started on the bench, was introduced in the 62nd minute, replacing Noni Madueke.
Although Chelsea fell short in the second leg, they secured a 3-2 aggregate win in the Europa Conference League play-off.
Maresca’s praise for George’s display is a testament to the youngster’s growing influence and potential.
The Chelsea boss acknowledged George’s fearlessness and composure under pressure, which bodes well for his future development.
‘He was good!’ Maresca said after the match, with Chelsea’s spot in the Europa Conference League now officially confirmed thanks to their first-leg victory.
‘He was not shy. He had personality. We also had Josh Acheampong on the bench.
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‘Unfortunately [Ollie] Harrison was not on the bench. It’s important to build something with the academy players.’
Maresca admits that he was ‘very worried’ about the second-leg clash with Servette and knew that it would be a potential banana skin for his side.
‘I think the first half an hour was comfortable and we had three or four chances to make it 2-0,’ the Italian added.
‘Then we concede the goal and it’s normal to suffer a little bit. I was very worried about this game.
‘For them, it’s probably their biggest game of the season. This kind of game, you have many things to lose and not many things to win.
‘This is why I was so worried yesterday and before the game. It’s a competition that we are going to try and do our best.
‘The team, the way we started, the team was there and then we conceded, they had some chances and then we lost a little bit of confidence.’
Chelsea are actively seeking to bolster their attacking lineup, with negotiations underway with Victor Osimhen, although discussions have hit a snag over the Nigerian striker’s salary demands.
