Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has delivered a brutally honest critique of winger Noni Madueke, shedding light on why the promising talent has been left out of recent lineups.

Despite Madueke’s goal-scoring contribution in Chelsea’s dominant 5-1 victory over Southampton during their Premier League game on Wednesday night, Maresca pointed to a deeper issue in the young player’s approach that demands urgent attention, footballrover reports.

The Blues displayed their attacking depth in the thumping win at St. Mary’s, climbing to second place in the Premier League standings.

Goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, and substitute Jadon Sancho highlighted Chelsea’s firepower.

Maresca demands more from Noni Madueke

The England star, returning to the side, also found the net, but his manager believes there is much more he can offer.

The Chelsea boss, addressing the media post-match, expressed concerns about Noni’s inconsistency after moments of success.

“He can do much more. When he scores/assists and is happy, he starts to drop a little bit. When he scores one, he needs to keep trying to score & assist,” Maresca said. 

The Chelsea boss attributed Madueke’s limited playtime to his lacklustre performance in training.

“The reason he was not playing is because of the way he was training. He has to understand he has to train every day good. He has to be ambitious,” the coach stressed.

Chelsea’s recent win was largely helped by the dismissal of Southampton’s Jack Stephens, who received a red card following a VAR review in the first half.

While Chelsea capitalised on their numerical advantage, the Blues gaffer made it clear that Madueke’s potential is yet to be fully realised.

As Chelsea chases Premier League leaders Liverpool, Maresca’s tough love for the player might just be the push the 21-year-old needs to unlock his full potential.

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