Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insisted that the jeers from Old Trafford did not influence his decision to keep Alejandro Garnacho on the bench during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, MySportDab Reports.
The £44m summer recruit was frozen out by United boss Ruben Amorim before sealing his move to Stamford Bridge in late August.
Many expected the 20-year-old winger to make an emotional return against his former club, and his introduction looked imminent when he warmed up in the second half to a hostile reception from the home supporters.
But instead of Garnacho, Maresca turned to right-back Malo Gusto when Wesley Fofana asked to be withdrawn, leaving the Argentine unused. “No, it had nothing to do with the reaction,” Maresca said after the match. “He was ready to go on, but Wes asked for a change. The idea was to give Garnacho minutes.”
The Italian had already been forced into major tactical reshuffling after Robert Sánchez’s fifth-minute red card.
The goalkeeper’s dismissal led to the quickest double substitution in Premier League history, as Estêvão and Pedro Neto were sacrificed for Filip Jörgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo. “They attack with five, we defend with four,” Maresca explained. “With ten men, we needed to defend wider, so we went to a back five.”
Despite the adjustment, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro struck before halftime to hand United control. Casemiro’s red card briefly raised Chelsea’s hopes, but Trevoh Chalobah’s late goal was not enough to avoid defeat.
For Garnacho, the night ended in frustration as he remained an unused substitute on what could have been a dramatic Old Trafford homecoming.
