Maresca played Pedro against his will: the player asked not to put him on the match.

I was refused to play, but I went onto the field

According to The Sun: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca decided to field Joao Pedro in the match against Brentford, despite his request not to play.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday as part of the Premier League.

Chelsea star Joao Pedro asked coach Enzo Maresca not to play against Brentford REUTERS/David Klein alt='Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - September 13, 2025 Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36700555' width='694' height='960' /> Maresca revealed that Pedro asked not to play due to fitness issues REUTERS/David Klein

The importance of direct focus on the opponent

Pedro, 23, played for 79 minutes in the match before he was replaced by another newcomer to the team - Alejandro Garnacho, who made his debut for the club.

During the post-match press conference, Maresca admitted that the forward asked him not to put him on the field due to difficulties with his physical preparation.

This came after the Brazilian legionnaire played in both World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Bolivia during the international break.

Meanwhile, the Italian coach rejected the player's request as the team did not have enough attacking options due to the loan of Nicolas Jackson to Bayer and the injury of Liam Delap.

Maresca was asked whether he had planned the team with an eye on the Champions League game on Wednesday against Bayer. The Chelsea coach noted that he used Pedro's example to highlight the importance of focusing on the current opponent.

“Joao Pedro told me before the game that he was not 100% ready, and that it would be better if he did not play. If I had been thinking about Bayer, Joao would have been on the bench.'

“Joao played because he only focused on today's game. But, of course, you have many games, and you have to plan different options.”

Pedro influenced the game, assisting in the goal scored by Cole Palmer that equalized after Kevin Schade's opening goal.

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Chelsea made a comeback in the game thanks to Moises Caicedo, but Brentford equalized in stoppage time through Fabio Carvalho.

This match was an important moment for Chelsea as the team showed fighting spirit despite individual players' form difficulties. The next matches will present new challenges where the team needs to maintain focus and mindset to succeed in the Champions League and Premier League.