Enzo Maresca denies rift with Chelsea hierarchy as January transfer update issued - Italian opened door to speculation with weekend comments

Pep Guardiola proteges Enzo Maresca and Brian Barry-Murphy will reunite when Chelsea face Cardiff City in their EFL Cup quarter-final.

They pushed Newcastle hard on their visit to St. James' Park in October, only falling to a last minute winner from Bruno Guimaraes. Only two points separate them from their hosts, who will be feeling the pressure after Sunday's defeat in the Tyne-Weir derby and who looked drained from competing on four fronts.

Enzo Maresca said Reece James' recent increased game time is partly because the defender himself is asking for more involvement despite the club's cautious load management.

Some of you have been asking via our Ask Me Anything about Chelsea form whether the Blues' inconsistency is down to their youthful squad.

Chelsea enters Saturday on a bit of a whimper on all fronts. After beating Barcelona in UEFA Champions League action last month, the club has gone winless in its past four matches. Along with losing to Leeds United earlier this month, the Blues only have draws against Arsenal and Bournemouth.

Chelsea boss Maresca has opened up a can of worms: "The last 48 hours have been the hardest since I joined the club."

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff City (kick-off 20:00 GMT). Here are the key lines from his news conference: