Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said that he will let Pedro Neto decide if he is ready to face Palmeiras after Chelsea excused the winger from training following the passing of Jota on Thursday morning.
Neto was a close friend of the Liverpool striker and both played together regularly for the Portuguese national side. Jota and Neto shared the pitch together on 21 occasions, first as teammates at Wolves and then as part of the Portugal national team and his passing will have hit the 25-year-old hard.
“It’s a very sad day,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Chelsea‘s quarter-final against Palmeiras.
“I struggle to find words because it’s very difficult, the feeling that you have is of helplessness in this kind of situation.
“The only thing I can say is all my love to his family, the people in this moment. It’s a big tragedy for them.
“In terms of Pedro it is very sad, probably more than sad. It’s completely Pedro’s decision. I had a chat with Pedro and we support him. Any decision he will take is the correct one.
“It doesn’t matter if he’ll be on the pitch or not. We’ll see how he is feeling but, in any case, we’re going to support him.”
Jota and Neto's last appearance on a football pitch was in October 2024 as Portugal ran out 3-1 victors over Poland. It is unlikely he will feature this weekend against Palmeiras as the Blues hope to reach the semi-final with such a tragedy that has affected world football hanging above their heads.