Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has pinpointed the club’s defensive issues as their most pressing problem following a challenging pre-season tour in the United States. The team conceded 12 goals in five matches, recording three defeats, one draw, and only one win.

Maresca noted that the high defensive line employed by Chelsea has been particularly problematic, and the team is working on adjusting this approach. The plan is to lower the defensive line by four to five meters to mitigate this vulnerability, a challenge that persisted from the previous season.

Despite a strong attacking performance last year under former coach Mauricio Pochettino, where Chelsea scored 77 goals, their defensive shortcomings were evident as they conceded 63 goals, leading to a sixth-place finish.

Maresca expressed his intention to rectify these issues, saying, “It’s a habit. We are not working on defensive lines so high. It’s a habit from last year, or years ago; I don’t know. We are trying to drop the defensive line a little bit, usually about four or five meters, just to have some advantage. Last year, we already conceded many goals with this problem. Hopefully, we can solve it very soon.”

Chelsea will have one final friendly match against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge on Sunday before the new season begins.