Sections of the Chelsea support have lost patience with Sanchez, leading Maresca to urge the Stamford Bridge crowd to get behind whoever he chooses on Monday night. He did admit, however, that taking a struggling player out of the firing line could prove a wise course of action.

Enzo Maresca has said that Chelsea's form has "100%" been affected by transfer speculation, claiming some of his players may not have been fully focussed.

Enzo Maresca is going to leave it late before deciding whether to start Robert Sanchez in goal in Chelsea’s game against West Ham on Monday night. Sanchez, 27, has been first-choice keeper since Maresca took charge in the summer but has become a target of abuse from the club’s fans after making several high-profile mistakes.