Cuku: I told Esteban to wear shin pads in training because I had to prepare for the game against Barcelona

At 4:00 in the morning on November 26, in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea will face Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Before the game, Blues defender Cucurella attended the press conference. He talked about himself and the team's current status and other topics.

About the game against Barcelona

- This game is very special for me and my family, we have the opportunity to play in the Champions League, it is a special night. The games between these two clubs are always exciting and hopefully we can do well tomorrow and get the three points.

About leaving Barcelona that year

- Everything happens for a reason, including leaving Barcelona. I'm very happy with my career and now playing for Chelsea.

About Esteban

- It was not easy for him to face Chelsea in the Club World Cup for Palmeiras because he had to run a lot and we put a lot of pressure on him. He always asks for the ball and he gets chances to score. He always plays with a smile and full of energy.

About the important week

- This week is very important and all the players are eager to participate in these games because these games are of great significance. Everyone is very focused and giving their all. We have a good chance, and we need to understand that these are two very crucial games, but we also need to understand that a game like this is also a 3-point game.

About the team’s goals

– Yes, we want to win every trophy. When we lost at home to Brighton two weeks ago, everyone was saying we were too young and not ready. Now that we have won, people are saying we can fight for trophies.

About Palmer

- Yes, of course, we miss Palmer, he missed a few games, but the team still performed well and won some important games. Palmer was very important to us and we miss him. We are Chelsea, we have a lot of very good players and we need to perform well and the most important thing is the team.

About Palmer's broken toe

- Frankly, I don't really believe it (laughs). It's possible that something like this could happen and it's a big blow for us because he could have trained and played with us and now he's resting again, but that's football.

About facing Yamal

- It is difficult to play against players like them because they are so talented and very good. But it’s not just Yamal versus Cucurella, it’s an important game and we need to put in a good performance.

About the current state of the team

- We are working hard to improve every week. The game against Bayern was the Champions League debut for some of our players, which was a bit difficult. We are adapting and are calmer and more mature. We know what we need to do and we showed it at the end of last season that we are better than before.

Regarding aspects that the team needs to improve

- It is not enough to win a few games and then have a dip in form. If we want to compete for important honors, we must always be at our best.

About Maresca

- This coach likes to try different ideas, we have different formations and you need to adapt. I think my best position is left-back but I would love to play more advanced and have the opportunity to get into the box. I like that because it's different every week.

Back to Palmer's broken toe

- Frankly, I have no idea what happened. He is running. I think he probably lost a FIFA game or something (laughs).

About the training schedule against Barcelona

- I told Esteban to wear shin pads in training because I was going to start preparing for the game against Barcelona.