When it rains, it pours, at least that seems to be the case with Chelsea.
In his pre-match press conference yesterday, Enzo Maresca confirmed that, in addition to the players already out injured, Cole Palmer would not play again until after the international break, and both Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo are out of contention.
However, even with these injuries, the Blues still have the talent to get a result against Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon.
To ensure the team has the best chance of securing all three points, Maresca must make a few changes outside of just the defence, such as dropping Jamie Gittens and Enzo Fernández.
Why Maresca must drop Gittens & Fernandez
Starting with Gittens, the reason Maresca has to take him out of the lineup for today’s game is straightforward: he’s currently offering nothing in attack nor defence.
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The former Borussia Dortmund gem might well have a high ceiling and a bright future ahead of him, but as things stand, we have yet to see any of the dynamic attacking play for which he was signed.
In his five appearances for the club, the Englishman has failed to score or assist a goal, and considering he started against League One side Lincoln City during the week, that is concerning.
So, for his own sake and the team’s attack, Maresca should take the Reading-born ace out of the team for now, and perhaps use him as a late impact player to try and get him up and running.
Things are a little less black and white when it comes to Fernandez, though, as we have seen what he can do when he’s at his best in this Chelsea side.
Unfortunately, the Argentine international has been nowhere near his best this season, has struggled in the league, looked out of place in the Champions League and was terrible in the League Cup.
In fact, it was his hospital pass that led to Lincoln taking the lead on Tuesday night, and if it weren’t for Tyrique George, he could have been in for an almighty hammering from the press.
Minutes
70′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Accurate Passes
44/55 (80%)
Crosses (Accurate)
1 (0)
Long Balls (Accurate)
8 (3)
Shots on Target
0
Duels (Won)
6 (2)
Lost Possession
16
Dribbled Past
2
Errors Leading to a Goal
1
Therefore, like with Gittens, the manager should remove the World Cup winner from the starting lineup for today, especially since there is already someone who could come in and do a far better job.
The Chelsea players to replace Gittens & Fernandez
Again, starting with Gittens, there is one obvious candidate to replace him on the right for today’s game: Estevao.
Yes, Maresca should replace the Englishman with the Blues’ newest “world-class” prospect, as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig.
The Brazilian may still be young, but he has already shown far more attacking intent and all-around quality in his short amount of time at the club this season.
For example, in his first start for the club, against West Ham United, he provided an incredible assist for Joao Pedro and generally had their defence terrified whenever he had the ball at his feet.
Moreover, if he really is the “future Ballon d’Or winner” that respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims, then the club should be getting him on the pitch whenever possible.
Moving into the middle of the park, then, and the man who should come in for Fernandez is, of course, Moises Caicedo.
The former Brighton star has a real shout for being the club’s best player, and so when the Argentine is underperforming so much, it makes sense to bring him in and play him alongside the promising Andrey Santos.
On top of adding some real bite and defensive solidity in the midfield, the unstoppable “machine,” as dubbed by Kulig, has also become more of an attacking threat.
For example, he has already scored two goals in just five league appearances this season, including that stunner against Brentford.
Ultimately, Chelsea need to get back on track today, and one of the ways Maresca can help make that happen is by starting Estevao and Caicedo in place of Gittens and Fernandez.