Maresca updates on Veiga and Chukwuemeka's futures

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca gave widescale updates on the futures of players across his squad before the FA Cup match against Morecambe.

After giving updates on Ben Chilwell, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and explaining the reported disagreement over the severity of Wesley Fofana's injury, the Italian was asked about midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.

After revealing it would be "useless" to play Chilwell as the club look to sell him, he said Chukwuemeka is in a similar position.

"Carney won't be included," Maresca said. "More or less the decision is like Chilwell and Cesare Casadei. Cesare, probably Chilwell and Carney, they are the same situation.

"It's something that I said at the beginning that Carney is a good player. But we have so many midfield players that he will struggle to get minutes with us.

"Probably for him the best solution is to go and get minutes. So he won't be involved in our game."

He was then asked about Portugal international Veiga, who has been linked with Napoli and Wolves, adding: "He's the same as Kiernan. Renato is our player, [on Saturday] he's going to play and he's a player that we're happy to have here with us.

"The last game he played was Tottenham away and in a delicate moment of the game we put him there. This showed how we trust Renato.

"But as I said, it's not just what I think, or what the club thinks, or what the player thinks. It's something that altogether we need to make the right decision for the club and the players and the manager."

Chelsea are believed to be exploring central defensive options in January, as Maresca revealed he "liked" Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi but he denied that his club need to replace an injured Fofana in January.

"We have Benoit who is close to being back, we have Josh who is doing well, Axel (Disasi) and Levi (Colwill) who can all do well in the position. At this moment I think we are OK," he explained.