A severe setback to Maresca consists of the BANNED of two Chelsea players from the massive match against Liverpool.
Two key Chelsea players will be absent for their highly anticipated clash against Liverpool later this month due to suspensions, marking them as the first Premier League players to reach the yellow card threshold this season.
After the international break, Chelsea, led by Italian manager Enzo Maresca, will head to Anfield for what promises to be a challenging match. A victory on Merseyside would solidify Maresca’s record as one of the few managers to win their first five away games in the Premier League. However, this task has become significantly harder as the team will be without defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana. Both players earned their fifth yellow cards of the season during a tense 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
In that match, tensions boiled over at Stamford Bridge, particularly late in the game when a mass confrontation erupted. Cucurella’s involvement in the scuffle earned him the fateful yellow card. Earlier, Fofana had also been booked for a clumsy foul, bringing him to the five-yellow-card mark. Their suspensions now force Maresca into a difficult position as he prepares his team to face Liverpool, currently leading the Premier League with six wins in their opening seven matches.
Maresca, who has only recently settled on a regular starting lineup, will now need to reshuffle his defense. To fill the gap left by Fofana in central defense, he may turn to Axel Disasi or Benoit Badiashile. However, Tosin Adarabioyo, who has featured more consistently this season, seems the likely candidate to partner Levi Colwill in the heart of defense.
At left-back, Maresca has a couple of options to replace Cucurella. Ben Chilwell, who has been working his way back into the first-team fold, could be given the nod. But it seems more probable that new signing Renato Veiga will take on the role, especially after an impressive performance in which he scored during Chelsea’s 4-2 win against Gent earlier in the week.
Maresca has previously cautioned his squad that no player’s position is guaranteed, given the abundance of talent waiting for opportunities. The draw against Nottingham Forest, combined with the upcoming international break, may provide the perfect moment for him to experiment with further changes in the lineup.
In midfield, Romeo Lavia, now fit after recovering from injury, could replace Enzo Fernandez, who has struggled to meet expectations recently. Similarly, Pedro Neto might take advantage of Noni Madueke’s inconsistency in attacking positions. Additionally, Christopher Nkunku may finally earn a starting spot over Nicolas Jackson, whose performances have been erratic in recent weeks.
With multiple players returning to form and new faces pushing for selection, Maresca has some big decisions to make ahead of Chelsea’s crucial encounter with Liverpool, a match that could set the tone for the rest of their season.
