In his inaugural season at Stamford Bridge, the Italian manager has effectively utilized two distinct line-ups this season—one for the Premier League and another for European competitions.
For last month’s 4-1 victory against Panathinaikos, he made 11 alterations to the starting eleven, propelling Chelsea to the top of the Conference League standings after two matches.
However, ahead of his team's home game against Armenian club Noah on Thursday, he stood by his tactical decisions.
“We make changes because we have 24, 25 players, all fit, all good enough to play different competitions,” he said.
“The season is so long, we have so many games,” he added. “And for sure, all of them, they are going to play Conference League and Premier League games or FA Cup, the next one.
“So it’s not, I already said, I can understand that from outside, you can see two teams, but we have just one team, one squad, 24, 25 players, all fit, fortunately.
“And we’re going to try to use all of them.”
Maresca, whose team currently holds the fourth position in the Premier League, was inquired about the status of forward Joao Felix, who has not yet made a start in a league match this season.
“I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League. But I said many times we need a defensive balance, and we cannot play with Joao, Cole (Palmer), Chris (Nkunku).
“I like to put all of them inside the pitch, but then you have to also defend, and you need the right balance.
“And this is the only reason why. But I don’t have any doubt that if Joao keeps working well, he’s going to find his moment also in the Premier League.”
Maresca mentioned that the Conference League presented significant challenges for Chelsea, given their status as the favored team.
“We need to be ready technically, but also mentally,” he said.
“(Noah) is a team that in their country, they play different shapes. So we don’t know how they’re going to come here and play.
“Today in football, you can find good players, good squads, good teams and good managers everywhere, not only in the most important leagues in Europe or in the world.”