Chelsea face selection headache over Enzo Maresca’s ‘perfect player’ as major decision looms

Chelsea face selection headache over Enzo Maresca’s ‘perfect player’ as major decision looms

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Enzo Maresca has some big, big decisions in front of him over the next few days.

Chelsea are one booking away from losing their star midfielder Moises Caicedo for two Premier League matches. The 23-year-old is on nine yellow cards in the league this season and one more caution before match day 32 would see the Ecuador international serve a two-game suspension. If it is picked up this weekend, at home to Leicester City, then Caicedo would be ineligible for crucial matches against Arsenal and Tottenham in the coming weeks.

So, what does Maresca do? Risk Caicedo, who Maresca called “the perfect player” last month, against the Foxes and perhaps sacrifice one of the Ecuadorian’s biggest strengths in tackling, or does he instead decide to take him out of the Premier League match and use someone else? Granted, there are not an array of options available to the Italian.

That is, though, what Maresca should do. Chelsea have got more than enough to beat Leicester at Stamford Bridge. On paper, it looks like a straightforward victory – and while Maresca must, and will, guard his players against complacency, there is equally an opportunity to rest one of his best players in Caicedo and have him definitely available for the trip to Arsenal, where he will certainly be needed more.

Chelsea have a crucial UEFA Conference League Round of 16 first-leg tie in Copenhagen on Thursday evening – a game where there may be some temptation to use some of the fringe players with a Premier League match just three days later. However, Maresca could be tempted to throw Caicedo into the XI in the Danish capital and instead rest him for the weekend.

Have Caicedo alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at the Parken Stadium and the former could then sit out of the weekend’s game. Enzo Fernandez would be rested in Denmark and fresh for the visit of the Foxes on Sunday afternoon, while Maresca will face a decision on whether to use Dewsbury-Hall again, or whether to bring one of the full-backs into the middle of the pitch.

Romeo Lavia is highly unlikely to be anywhere near the squad for Sunday’s match, and has not even been included in the Conference League squad. Lavia is due back from his latest setback after the two-week international break that takes place later in the month – leaving Maresca very short on options when he wants to rotate his midfield setup.

Against Aston Villa last month, though, we saw Reece James start alongside Caicedo, with the two full-backs being Malo Gusto on the right and Marc Cucurella on the left. James had some great moments where he got to show off his technical prowess, adaptability and general football intelligence despite losing 2-1 at Villa Park. Moving the captain into the midfield could be an option for Sunday, although he would have to be rested in Denmark as Maresca does not yet trust the right-back to play more than one game a week.

Mathis Amougou is another option for Chelsea after he was brought in over the mid-season transfer window. The 19-year-old midfielder made his debut for the Blues with a late cameo appearance in the comfortable victory over Southampton over a week ago, but Maresca said upon his arrival that the young French talent is viewed by the club as one for the future rather than this present moment.

Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu are on loan at Strasbourg and Southampton, respectively, and are due back to Cobham in the summer as the club consider their futures. Santos has been shining in France for Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg, while Ugochukwu has endured an up and down time at the Saints, who are Championship-bound after a disastrous season back in the Premier League.

The centre of midfield is an area Chelsea will look to address in the summer transfer window with this season proving difficult in said department because of injuries and other circumstances.

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• Enzo Maresca
• Chelsea
• UEFA Europa Conference League
• Moises Caicedo
• Premier League
• Chelsea vs Leicester City
• Arsenal vs Chelsea
• Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur