Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says the substitutions of Reece James and Romeo Lavia were planned pre-match against Liverpool.
Both were making their first starts for the season after long-term injury and lasted 55 minutes at Anfield.
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After the 2-1 defeat on Sunday, Maresca said: "Yeah, for him (James) and Romeo, the idea was for him and Romeo to have one hour or 55 minutes maximum. I was quite afraid to keep them on for more minutes on the pitch so I decided to change both of them on 55 minutes."
Maresca also said: "I'm relaxed. I'm not happy because we lost. But I'm relaxed and happy with the performance of the team. The decision from the referee has been clear for you, it's been clear for me, and it's been clear for probably all of you.
"The referee is there to make decisions. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. Nothing to say."