Enzo Maresca labelled Saturday night’s defeat to Aston Villa the “toughest” of his Chelsea reign - but insisted his team are one win away from reviving their season. The Blues’s dismal run of form continued at Villa Park, as Marco Asensio’s double saw the home side come from behind to claim a 2-1 win.

Enzo Maresca hopes Chelsea will be boosted by the return of five first team players by the time his side play Tottenham Hotspur on April 2. Chelsea suffered another setback this week when a scan on Nicolas Jackson showed his hamstring problem sustained against West Ham United was more serious than first thought and leaves the striker facing six weeks on the sidelines.