Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has urged senior members of the Chelsea squad to question Enzo Maresca’s rotation policy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca made seven changes to his side for the midweek Champions League clash with Qarabag with the Blues limping to a 2-2 draw with the Azerbaijan side.
In total, the Chelsea boss has made 85 changes to his side this season in 16 games played, some of those enforced with Cole Palmer and Liam Delap among those sidelined with injuries already this term.
Maresca has also been carefully managing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez with both racking up over 4000 minutes last season as part of a gruelling campaign that only ended in July after the Club World Cup.
But there have been plenty more changes not forced upon the manager with Rooney fearing the constant chopping and changing can only have an adverse effect.
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The England legend believes players left out will understandably be frustrated with even those keeping their places in the side left struggling to ‘build relationships’ with their teammates.
“That’s part of the problem will having so many good players. The players want to play, they want to build relationships,’ he told the Wayne Rooney Show.
‘When you keep chopping and changing then the players won’t be happy, 100 percent.
‘Players getting game time who might not expect it will be happy but you want to play consistently and I think that will come back to bite them.’
Rooney insisted it is up the leaders in the Chelsea dressing room, including captain Reece James, to approach Maresca with any concerns brewing behind the scenes.
‘I’m sure most teams have leadership groups, I think that is one where as a group, you have to go question the manager.
‘I don’t think its player power. I would be concerned if the team kept changing. You can change one or two players, normally wide players or your forward. But your midfield players, your back two, your goalkeeper, should never change if they are fit and playing well.
‘Reece James is captain, Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo is probably the most important player. Whoever it is, you are in that leadership group.
‘If I was in that leadership group I would be speaking to my teammates and saying “we are not happy with this.”
‘If they get results and win games all the time you can’t question it but if they are not there have to be questions asked.’