Enzo Maresca, the manager of Leicester City, expressed his perplexity regarding Chelsea’s decision to recall Cesare Casadei from his loan spell in January, a move that left the Foxes facing a shortage in midfield reinforcements.
Casadei had initially joined Leicester on loan until the end of the season, starting in only eight of his 25 Championship appearances. However, his prospects changed when Wilfred Ndidi sustained an injury, paving the way for a potential extended run in the team for Casadei.
Unexpectedly, Chelsea exercised their option to recall the 21-year-old midfielder in the middle of January following Leicester’s 3-1 defeat against Coventry City. This untimely recall left Leicester without the opportunity to secure another midfielder, significantly impacting Maresca’s midfield options.
Reflecting on the situation, Maresca conveyed his surprise at Casadei’s departure, stating, “We were surprised Casadei went back to Chelsea. They own him so they can decide – we can’t do anything. We didn’t expect it, but we deal with it.”
Despite Casadei’s return to Chelsea, his playing time at the Premier League club has been limited, amounting to just 17 minutes since his comeback. Reports from an anonymous source to The Athletic suggested that the decision stemmed from the player’s lack of game time at Leicester.
With Leicester gearing up for a clash against Chelsea, Maresca addressed the uncertainties surrounding the recall, expressing, “I don’t know. I know that Cesare was happy here. We were happy with Cesare. The reason that they decided to bring him back, I don’t know. The only thing that I can say is that we lost players in January. The reason why is a question for Chelsea.”
The manager highlighted the challenges faced by the team due to the absence of key players like Ndidi and Casadei, emphasizing the makeshift solutions utilized to cope with the midfield setbacks.
Maresca acknowledged the efforts made by the remaining squad members, including Ricardo Pereira, Dennis Praet, Yunus Akgun, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, in maintaining Leicester’s position at the top of the table despite the unexpected departures and the subsequent adjustments made to the team structure.