Enzo Maresca fires warning to Noni Madueke over his attitude despite heroics against Southampton as Chelsea boss reveals why winger had been dropped

Madueke was reinstated to the starting XI for the 5-1 victory against the Saints at St Mary’s on Wednesday after being kept out of the squad during their previous match against Aston Villa. The forward repaid the trust shown in him and ended the night with a goal and an assist to Christopher Nkunku.

Speaking candidly after the game, Maresca did not hold back in addressing the 21-year-old's performance and training habits.

"With Noni, I have a personal relationship, in terms of he can do much more," he told reporters. "In the moment that he starts to score or assist and is happy, he starts to drop a little bit."

Maresca revealed that Madueke’s lack of effort in training was the reason for his omission from the squad against Aston Villa.

"The reason he was not playing [against Aston Villa] is because I don’t like the way he trained," he said.

"He has to understand that he has to train every day well, he has to be ambitious. If he scores one tonight, he has to go for the second one, the third one. He has to be ambitious, to give more assists. But overall, he’s doing great, he’s doing fantastic. He’s doing even better in terms of numbers, assists and goals. But Noni has to understand he has to work more because he can be much, much, much better."

This is not the first time Maresca has voiced concerns about the England international's work ethic. In August, the manager publicly criticised Madueke for his lacklustre training performances. However, his numbers this season indicate his potential, with five goals and two assists in 13 Premier League appearances. Despite these contributions, he has struggled to secure a regular starting position, as Maresca often prefers Nicolas Jackson in attack.

Chelsea’s victory against Southampton solidified their position in second place in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. The Blues now face a challenging trip to Tottenham on Sunday, with Maresca expecting Madueke to build on his recent momentum and prove his worth.