Joao Felix was shipped on loan to AC Milan on deadline day of the January transfer window after enduring a difficult return to Chelsea, starting just three Premier League games
Enzo Maresca has insisted Chelsea will not miss Joao Felix despite seeing his side crash out of the FA Cup with a defeat at Brighton.
Felix was bought by the Blues in the summer in a £45million deal from Atletico Madrid, with the attacker penning a seven-year contract. But it proved to be a difficult return to Stamford Bridge for the 25-year-old.
He started just three Premier League games, with the majority of his minutes coming in the cup competitions. With the Portugal international clearly not part of Maresca’s plans, Felix was sent on loan to AC Milan on deadline day in the January transfer window.
He scored in the Coppa Italia win over Roma on his debut and started Saturday’s victory at Empoli. His parent club meanwhile fell to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton to crash out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage.
It is the second time in the past three seasons that the Blues have failed to progress beyond the fourth round, as many times as in the previous 24 campaigns combined. Even so, Maresca has insisted he has no doubt that sending Felix away was the right decision.
“I don’t think we miss Joao. Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there. We had two striker injuries on deadline day, it is something difficult to think. Nico [Jackson] can be back very soon,” he said.
“Sometimes I think you need to play some games without players to realise how important they are. Off the ball, his [Jackson] pressing is always very good and on the ball he is a threat always.”
Felix scored in his first game for loan club AC Milan (
Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Following another disappointing night for his side, with Chelsea now out of both domestic cup competitions, Maresca is keen to refocus. The Italian has urged his side to put their full efforts into the Premier League and the Europa Conference League.
“We started very good, controlled and created some chances. The second-half more or less happened the same. If there is something good after a defeat is now we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference,” he added.
“It is for sure a shame. No doubt. It is a difficult competition. For sure, it is a big shame for us. For me, a good season is seeing the team improving game after game; go through bad moments, difficulty, it is the only way this club can compete for something important.
“After we concede the second goal, we had three or four chances to score so the reaction was there. Every game is different. In terms of reaction, after the second goal we concede, the reaction was there.
“For me, for sure, we need to learn how to win games 1-0. No doubt. The same way, the last game against West Ham, we were losing 1-0 and then we won 2-1. In terms of the team, we need to learn how to win 1-0. Big clubs do that.”
