Enzo Maresca launches Chelsea review after latest blow in Champions League race

Enzo Maresca promised to review Chelsea’s bad disciplinary record at the end of the season after Nicolas Jackson was banned from their final two games.

The Senegalese striker will miss Friday’s home match with and the final day clash with following his dismissal at . It was the Blues’ first red card of the season during a match but have a league high of 96 yellow cards - two ahead of .

Forest are the only other candidates in the top 10 with 81 although top the red card table with six. Maresca said: “I think against Newcastle it was our first red card of the season. We have had a lot of yellows? I don't know. to be honest.

"It's probably also the way we try to be, intense, aggressive. I don't know to be honest. It's a good question that probably we need to analyse during the summer when we have some day off and to see if there is something that we can do better.”

Marc Cucurella was sent off after the final whistle against Brentford. Jackson was dismissed for elbowing Newcastle defender Sven Botman as Chelsea lost at St James’ Park to end a run of five consecutive wins in all competitions.

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Maresca added: “I think Nico is intelligent enough to recognise that there has been an error, a mistake."

The defeat leaves Chelsea still in top five only on goal difference from sixth placed Villa with Forest only a point behind. The Conference League finalists need two wins to be sure of Champions League football next season.

“I think at the beginning of the season we were, if someone said to us that we need to win the last two games to reach the Champions League spot, probably we would have been happy,” Maresca said.

“I think overall during the season we had moments, for instance the first five or six months where we were second, third, so even better. Now we are there and we are going to try to finish well. For sure it can be disappointing if we don’t finish in the top five.”

Maresca could start with Pedro Neto as a false nine ahead of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez. Despite a bumpy debut season in charge, Maresca is expected to remain in charge next term.

Club chiefs are prepared to reserve judgement on the Italian's work until next summer. The Blues are chasing a top five spot heading into the final two games of the campaign, and with it a lucrative Champions League spot.

Maresca has been able to lead his side into the final of the Europa Conference League, where they face Real Betis. The 45-year-old was handed a five-year contract upon his arrival from .

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