Chelsea have serious Moises Caicedo problem but £164m solution for Enzo Maresca is clear

Chelsea have serious Moises Caicedo problem but £164m solution for Enzo Maresca is clear

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Chelsea are at serious risk of losing Moises Caicedo for their upcoming games against Arsenal and Tottenham.

The 23-year-old midfielder has played more minutes – with 2,567 – than anyone else in the Blues squad this season in all competitions. Caicedo has been an integral cog in the Enzo Maresca system in the head coach’s debut campaign with the west London club and has arguably been the most consistent performer in this time.

However, with nine yellow cards to his name in the Premier League this season, he is one booking away from being handed a two-match suspension. If this was to come on Sunday afternoon against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge, then the Ecuador international would be suspended for the following top-flight matches against Arsenal on March 16 and then Tottenham on April 3.

So, what happens if Caicedo is suspended for both of the back-to-back London derbies against two of Chelsea's biggest rivals? There is of course the option to bring Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in for at least the trip to the Emirates Stadium later this month. Romeo Lavia is still missing with a muscular injury but the Belgian midfielder is expected back after the two-week international break – which, incidentally, splits the matches with the Gunners and Spurs.

With Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu both out on loan elsewhere, there is not an enormous amount of cover for Maresca in the centre of midfield. Dewsbury-Hall has not been trusted too much in the Premier League but has deputised in other competitions. Maresca, however, may need to call upon the midfielder, who followed him from Leicester in the summer, if Caicedo is ineligible.

Hopefully for Chelsea's sake, Lavia can return after the international break and will be fit enough to take on Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. If so, Lavia alongside Enzo Fernandez does not sound too bad – with an accumulated transfer fee of £164million. With Fernandez enjoying a more advanced role in recent matches, having Lavia, a holding midfielder, behind him will add some much-needed balance.

There is of course the option of bringing a full-back into midfield, too. Maresca, as we know, loves to invert his full-backs but against Aston Villa last month, the Italian started Reece James in the centre of midfield with Malo Gusto at right-back and Marc Cucurella on the left. So, James in the middle is another option if Caicedo was to be suspended.

Either way, Maresca will be desperate not to lose Caicedo, who in his second season with the club has continued his development and become one of the first names on the team sheet. The Chelsea head coach knows just how crucial the former Brighton midfielder is to his team.

Speaking last month, Maresca said this on Caicedo: "Since we started, he has been doing fantastic in all aspects. He's improving a lot, he's understanding the game, he's going in different positions and he's open-minded. He's a good guy, he's humble, he works hard, so for a coach he is the perfect player.

"He's playing a lot of minutes, but I think if you compare to other players at Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City, there are many players that play more than Moi is playing for us. Moi is playing more or less one game a week and at 23, if you cannot play one game a week that means there is something wrong."

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• Moises Caicedo
• Chelsea
• UEFA Europa Conference League
• Premier League
• Enzo Maresca