Chelsea are hoping to take another step closer to a place in a European final with victory over Djurgarden in the first leg of our Conference League semi-final in Sweden.

And although we have a huge Premier League game with Liverpool on Sunday, as we chase qualification for the Champions League, our head coach reiterated the importance of chasing victory in every game we play, as he believes that is the only way for winning to become a habit and to instil the mentality he wants in his squad.

‘First of all we are trying to build a winning mentality. For me you build that trying to win every game no matter who the other team is,' Maresca explained.

'It’s the only way to build a winning mentality. At the end it is a matter of winning games, you can’t build a winning mentality if you don’t win games.

‘The players are aware that tomorrow is an important game but they also are aware that the next one is important. Now it is about tomorrow, and then after tomorrow we are going to be focused on Liverpool, and the players are going to be focused on that for sure.’

Although the games are coming thick and fast as we enter the final month of the 2024/25 season, with Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge following soon after this European game, Maresca insists that, for now at least, he only has Djurgarden on his mind.

That includes when it comes to naming his starting line-up for tonight’s match, dismissing the notion of resting players in Stockholm ahead of Liverpool, although he did hint that he has options to choose from in attacking roles, which include Tyrique George after some impressive performances from the teenager in recent weeks.

‘We are not in a moment when we can say we decide to save players for Sunday,’ he continued. ‘This is a semi-final, it’s a European competition, and we want to be in the final.

‘Now is not a moment to think about the next game. Now is about tomorrow, and then after tomorrow we are going to focus on Sunday’s game. The ones that are going to start tomorrow’s game are for sure the ones we think are the good ones for tomorrow’s game.

‘So we’ll see if it’s Nico [Jackson], if it’s Ty, if it’s Pedro [Neto] upfront. If it’s Ty we know he’s doing well every time. Even in the last five minutes of the last game against Everton he was there and he deserved the chance. He is working well and deserves a chance.’

Westview tickets for the home leg of this UEFA Conference League semi-final are on sale for £60pp, available exclusively to CFC Members. Hospitality packages are available on general sale here, starting from £160pp.