Chelsea are reportedly looking to allow Pedro Neto skip FIFA Club World Cup clash against Palmeiras following the death of Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota.
After learning of the heartbreaking news about his old Wolves and Portugal teammate, Neto missed the Blues’ Thursday’s training session.
The football community was rocked by Jota’s passing, and many Liverpool supporters demanded that the forward’s No. 20 shirt be retired as well as condolences flooded in.
According to talkSPORT, Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, stated that Neto had been given compassionate leave and that the winger would always have the club’s full support ahead of Saturday’s Club World Cup quarterfinal matchup against Palmeiras at 2am BST.
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What Did Maresca Say About Chelsea Granting Neto A Compassionate Leave?
“It’s completely Pedro’s decision,” Maresca said.
“I had a chat this morning with Pedro. We support him.
“Any decision he will take is the correct one, and we are going to support him in any case.
“So it doesn’t matter if we’ll be in the pitch or not.
“Tomorrow, we’ll see how he is feeling. But in any case, we’re gonna support him.”
It was ‘a very sad day’ for football, Maresca remarked, and he had a hard time putting it into words.
“You know, the feeling that you are, that you feel a little bit, you know, helpless in this kind of situation, and the only thing I can say, you know, all my love to, you know, his family, the people that in this moment, it’s a big tragedy for them,” Maresca said.
“And then in terms of Pedro, he’s very sad, probably more than sad, but we are also close to Pedro to support him in this moment.”
Together, Neto and Jota played in 21 club and national matches.
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