And Moises Caicedo of Chelsea is on the verge of missing two of the biggest London derbies of his life, all because of a mistimed tackle. If he is to avoid adding to the nine yellow cards already on his record book this season, the Ecuadorian must be careful with his behaviour on the pitch when the Blues take on Leicester next. Chelsea will miss the £115 million summer signing while if he is booked, he will have to miss key matches against Arsenal and Tottenham.
Now, obviously, now is the moment to be honest: given Caicedo has such a taste for the challenging games, it’s not exactly fair to ask a player to complete 90 minutes without getting a yellow, in the same vein as asking a cat to ignore a moving laser pointer. The Blues can’t afford to lose him to suspension in the stands while nervously sipping on sports drinks.
Chelsea’s Midfield Dilemma: Who Steps Up If Caicedo Misses Out?
If Caicedo picks up that dreaded tenth yellow, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will therefore have to introduce a solid Plan B. Options? Well, there’s Enzo Fernández with the flair but not the muscle and crunch of Caicedo. Conor Gallagher is another who simply covers more ground than a lost tourist with no GPS.
Unfortunately, however, losing Caicedo against Arsenal and Tottenham would be a huge blow. He is very key in his defensive work and when he leaves, Chelsea’s midfield may feel as empty as Tottenham’s bench (oops I just said that aloud?).
The Impact on Chelsea’s Champions League Hopes
And in the race to finish on the Champions League spots, Chelsea need to catch up. It may have been the case that they thrashed Southampton, but their form, so to speak, has been shakier than a Jenga tower on a rollercoaster. Caicedo’s absence is a simple boost might be enough to accelerate their Champions League push faster than you can say VAR controversy.
The race for a top four place is the closest ever. Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City are closing in on Chelsea. They don’t need their midfield man to go into their biggest games missing.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
