'It's a shame' - Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea stand-off with Real Madrid target Josh Acheampong

Enzo Maresca has revealed his disappointment towards Chelsea's decision to block young defender Josh Acheampong from playing at any level while negotiations over a new contract continue.

It was recently revealed that Acheampong, who is wanted by Real Madrid, has been warned he will not play for Chelsea either at senior or academy level until he has signed an extension to his current contract, which he penned this summer and expires in 2026.

It means that the talented 18-year-old, who has not played since the thumping Carabao Cup win over Barrow last month, was left out of the Conference League squad which travelled to Greece to face Panathinaikos on Thursday.

"To be honest, I feel a bit of shame for Josh because I think this kind of games can be an opportunity for him," Maresca confessed. "I had a chat with him, personally, about three weeks ago; about his situation and the chat we had was a very good chat, a positive chat but since that moment I haven't spoken to him again.

"As I said, it's a shame. I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be a very important thing for Chelsea.

"It's so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future.

"The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football. For him, I don't know the people who are trying to solve the problem, if they are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us but it is not possible."

In Acheampong's place, Chelsea have handed senior call-ups to winger Tyrique George, midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi and striker Shumaira Mheuka, known as Shim.

"They have been with us already for different sessions," Maresca explained. "Sam is a good profile, a midfielder, he can play all the midfield [roles], in between the lines. And Shim, we use him as a striker and as a winger. They are good profiles, young ones, and it will be a good experience for them to stay with us.

"We also have Tyrique that is with us. More or less, like Josh, it's good to have him with us. Hopefully we can give him some minutes, some chances, they can grow and we can give them a different experience."

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