Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has no shortage of selection issues heading into his side’s Club World Cup semifinal clash against Fluminese. Summer signing striker Liam Delap and defender Levi Colwill are both suspended here while Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile are all injury doubts.
The trio missed the quarterfinal win over Palmeiras due to injury, so at the very least, a fitness test must be passed, for each member of this troika, in order to make the matchday squad.
Chelsea FC vs Fluminese FYIs
Kickoff: Tues July 8, 3pm EST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, USA
Format: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Semifinal
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Watch: DAZN is streaming every game in the tournament, and you don’t need a paid subscription either.
Team News for Both Sides
Elsewhere Jamie Gittens is now signed, sealed and delivered, so does he make his Chelsea debut here? And if so, in what capacity? Shifting gears to Fluminese, the Rio de Janeiro will miss two players due to suspension- Mathues Martinelli and Juan Freytes.
Winner of his one gets the winner or Real Madrid versus Paris Saint-Germain,
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter