On the eve of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday night, in the UEFA Champions League competition, manager Enzo Maresca said that three of his players faced late fitness tests: Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos.
“This afternoon, we are going to assess Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos,” Maresca said on Monday.
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“Unfortunately for us, they all have small problems. We are going to see if they are available for tomorrow.” The only member of that trio who didn’t play was Santos, as he was not deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad.
We’re predicting he will against Liverpool on Saturday.
Elsewhere Romeo Lavia made into the squad but did not feature. Perhaps the oft-injured midfielder will see some action this weekend.
And then Wesley Fofana could be back, with his seemingly now having recovered from a concussion. We’ll wait and see if that is the case.
Everything else remains the same, with Cole Palmer and Tosin Adarabioyo likely to return from injury after the international break with Trevoh Chalobah returning in the same game, but for a very different reason.
He’ll serve a one match ban in this one.
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