Maresca singles out Chelsea star in Atalanta defeat amid double Champions League verdict
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Enzo Maresca believes Josh Acheampong's solid performance was among the few positives for Chelsea in their 2-1 Champions League defeat to Atalanta on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old made his first start in the Champions League in this game, and he had to showcase his versatility in the right-back position.
This allowed Maresca to use Reece James, and later Malo Gusto, in midfield.
Chelsea conceded two goals in the second half and suffered their second defeat in the Champions League this season, which is disappointing, but Acheampong's display showed that he is ready for more involvement in the upcoming games.
He clearly did not miss his chance to impress the head coach.
"He was good. Josh was good," Maresca told Chelsea's in-house media team when asked about Acheampong after the game.
"Josh, when he plays, he's always doing the right things. We're quite happy for him."
Maresca was not the only one to speak highly of Acheampong's solid display. Trevoh Chalobah, who often plays a similar versatile defender role to Acheampong, was full of praise for the teenager.
"He (did) really well," Chalobah said about Acheampong's performance.
"Obviously, he hasn't played for a while, and stepped in really well."
Acheampong made seven defensive contributions in the game, including one tackle, two blocks, and three interceptions.
Impressively, he won all three of his duels in the game, and only made one foul throughout the game.
Wesley Fofana sustained an unfortunate eye injury in the game and was forced off after just 30 minutes of action. His possible injury absence could give Acheampong even more opportunities in the upcoming matches.
Chelsea will now have to shift their attention to the Premier League, as they host Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.