Maresca retains board backing at Chelsea

It is gearing up to be quite a week at Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho, one of the most esteemed figures in the club's history, returns to west London with new side Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Then, on Saturday, there's a matter of defending Premier League champions Liverpool swinging into town.

It's not the sort of week Blues manager Enzo Maresca would have hand-picked following a run of one victory in five matches - that win coming against League One club Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup.

There's been a noticeable change in the narrative, at least externally regarding the Italian's position in recent weeks.

Heading into the new season, at least from the outside looking in, Maresca's job appeared one of the safest in the country.

He had led the club to a top-four Premier League finish which, more pertinently, booked Chelsea's return to the Champions League.

Then later in the summer, Maresca masterminded the club's triumph at the Fifa Club World Cup, becoming the competition's inaugural winners in its new format.

Yet, despite those notable achievements, Maresca's position has again come under scrutiny in recent weeks following Chelsea's indifferent start to the season, where they are currently eighth in the table, seven points behind leaders Liverpool.

However, as things stand, there is no significant concern at Stamford Bridge over the side's early season malaise, with BBC Sport sources indicating Maresca continues to hold the club's full confidence heading into a high-profile week.

There is a sense behind the scenes at Chelsea that some of the negativity towards their start has been an over-reaction.

It has also been recognised there are likely to be undulations this season given a disrupted pre-season owing to their participation in the Club World Cup and the added workload created by their Champions League campaign.

While there has been disappointment in recent defeats by Manchester United and Brighton, and an acknowledgement their form has to improve, Chelsea are taking a fuller perspective on matters.

They have lost just five matches since May, and in four of those defeats Maresca's side have gone down to 10 men.

Furthermore, Chelsea stuck with him last season despite a mid-winter slump that saw the club win just three times in 12 matches - one of those against Morecambe in the FA Cup.

The plan is to judge Maresca at the end of the season, with a top-four league finish and deep cup runs the target for the 45-year-old.

That said, there is a feeling the squad is far stronger than it was last season which, in itself, could raise expectations on Maresca.

But there is a clear sense the campaign should be assessed as a whole.

Indeed, key figures are in agreement that avoiding injuries, given their Champions League participation, will be a challenge to overcome this season.

Their efforts to strengthen the squad over the summer was made with a view to ensuring Maresca had the tools to rotate players with that increased workload in mind.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the support fades should he be unable to improve their early season form.

But heading into such an important week, the Blues boss has the full backing of the club's key decision-makers.