Enzo Maresca warns half his Chelsea squad face fitness doubts ahead of Brentford trip

Enzo Maresca said half of his Chelsea squad are fighting to be fit for Saturday's Premier League trip to Brentford as the head coach revealed a raft of injuries and international-duty issues are clouding team selection.

Mareshca said several players returned from international duty unable to train fully, Cole Palmer only took part in part of Thursday's session after a groin problem, and long-term absences will continue to deplete his options. "For all of them, it's a question mark for tomorrow," he said of the South American internationals, adding: "Liam is around 10 to 12 weeks, so he has a long way to go."

Mareshca confirmed Cole Palmer trained only partially for the first time since his groin issue. The coach said Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian and Andrey Santos, who were with Brazil, did not train fully on their return, while Moises Caicedo returned late from Ecuador and did not train immediately. Maresca said travel and altitude effects, particularly from matches in places such as Bolivia, complicate recovery and availability.

The manager also set out the scale of Chelsea's longer-term absences. Forward Liam Delap has been ruled out for up to 12 weeks with a hamstring injury. Dario Essugo is expected to miss several months after undergoing thigh surgery, and defender Levi Colwill will be sidelined for most of the season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

With Delap unavailable, Maresca said Marc Guiu — recalled from a season-long loan at Sunderland — is the only natural No. 9 fully available within the squad. He added that Joao Pedro can also play centrally and that Tyrique George had deputised as a striker against Fulham, giving the manager alternative options if some players are unfit.

Chelsea had a final training session scheduled for Friday afternoon, and Maresca said he would assess fitness there before naming a squad. "Cole took part yesterday for the first time, not the entire session," he said. "Today in the afternoon we have one more session. We're going to try with him, if he's okay, otherwise he will be out tomorrow again."

Asked about off-field matters, Maresca declined to expand on the club's wider situation, referencing the club's 74 charges and saying he had little to add. "I know from the club that they are satisfied about the situation, about the process. Personally, I don't have anything to add," he said, adding that his focus remains on matters he can control on the pitch.

Chelsea enter the weekend fixture with squad management complicated by a combination of injury, surgery recoveries and players returning from international duty. Maresca will make late calls on availability after the final training session, with the manager having to weigh short-term options in attack and across the team while long-term rehabilitation continues for several key players.