Enzo Maresca insists he has no doubt that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will make a success of his Chelsea career, but says the midfielder must adapt to no longer being his main man.
Dewsbury-Hall was Maresca’s star performer during Leicester’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last term, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists.
Those performances convinced the new Chelsea boss to make Dewsbury-Hall one of the marquee signings of his first summer in charge in a £30million deal.
The 26-year-old has had to bide his time at the start of his Blues career and is yet to start a Premier League game, but is expected to get an opportunity when League Two leaders Barrow come to Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
“I’m very happy with Kiernan,” Maresca said. “We need to understand that Kiernan was the main player at Leicester.
“He arrived here now and he’s not the main player, now he’s one of the players. For him, and any player in the world, you need to adapt mentally.
“You go from: ‘Okay, I’m the main player here’ to being one of the players. That period requires a bit of time where you understand that and adapt that.”
Dewsbury-Hall arrived in pre-season carrying a minor injury, while illness ruled him out of a first Premier League start at Bournemouth earlier this month when he had been in line to play.
There is particular scrutiny on the new arrival given that he has effectively taken the squad place of Conor Gallagher, whose sale was unpopular among many Chelsea fans and who has made a superb start to life at Atletico Madrid.
“Sure, when you play for five, 10, 15 minutes, it’s not easy,” Maresca continued. “It’s not easy for Kiernan or the rest of the players.
“You need a bit of time to understand that kind of situation where it’s different to the previous one, where you were the main player. It’s just a matter to adapt a little bit. But overall, I don’t have any doubts about Kiernan.”
