Enzo Maresca wants Chelsea’s hat-trick hero Marc Guiu, along with Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, to stay in January rather than sending the 18-year-old trio away on loan.
While it is acknowledged they could guarantee more regular minutes if they left, Maresca has told his club it would be better for their progress if they stayed with him.
All three teenagers started in Thursday’s 5-1 Conference League win over Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge, with Guiu, a £5million summer signing from Barcelona, securing himself the match ball with an impressive first-half hat-trick.