ENZO MARESCA CONFIRMS LIAM DELAP AND ESTEVAO RETURN FOR ASTON VILLA SHOWDOWN
Enzo Maresca confirms Liam Delap and Estevao are available for Chelsea as they host third-placed Aston Villa this Saturday.
Here's the lowdown on Chelsea's injuries before their game against Aston Villa. It's a big match—third place versus fourth!
Chelsea managed a decent 2-2 draw against Newcastle after being down by two goals. They're holding onto fourth place for now. But Liverpool's close behind, winning most of their recent games.
Chelsea wanted to compete for the league title, but they haven't been doing so well. They've only won one of their last five matches and are seven points behind Aston Villa. They'll need to play really well to get a good result against Villa, who are on a great run, having won ten straight games in all competitions.
In good news, Moises Caicedo is back in midfield after his suspension, and Cole Palmer is getting more playing time after his injury. Enzo Maresca has been missing players, but two could be back this weekend.
Here’s the latest on who’s hurt before this big game:
Will Liam Delap be fit?
Liam Delap, who joined in the summer, has been out for a month with a shoulder injury that he got against Bournemouth. It's been a rough start for him, as he also missed time with a hamstring issue earlier in the season.
But the shoulder problem isn't as bad as I first thought. He might be available against Aston Villa. Enzo Maresca told reporters that Liam is probably ready for Aston Villa.
Delap hasn't scored in his eight league games for Chelsea this season. His only goal was in the Champions League against Barcelona.
Romeo Lavia and Estevao Updates
Romeo Lavia is still out with a muscle injury and won’t be back until next year. He's had some problems since joining from Southampton, but is getting closer to being fit. He might even be on the bench against Manchester City on January 4.
Estevao is getting close to fitness. He's in the same shape as Delap and might be in the squad to play Aston Villa this weekend as he pushes to return from a muscle injury.
Dario Essugo is still waiting for his first game for the club. He hasn’t been in the squad since the third game because of an injury. No one knows how bad it is, and there's no date for his return.
Levi Colwill is likely out for most of the season with a bad ACL injury, which could affect his chances of playing in the World Cup. Mykhailo Mudryk is also still out for a while, as he's suspended for violating anti-doping rules.
JAVIER PASTORE SLAMS LIAM ROSENIOR’S "UNFAIR" SUSPENSION OF STAR ENZO FERNANDEZ
Enzo Fernandez’s agent warns Chelsea over "unfair" treatment as Real Madrid rumours swirl ahead of the World Cup.
Enzo Fernandez’s agent isn’t holding back; he just blasted Chelsea’s head coach, Liam Rosenior, and the higher-ups, calling the decision to bench Fernandez “completely unfair.” Fernandez, fresh off a World Cup win with Argentina, got punished after saying in an interview that he’d like to live in Madrid someday. Of course, that kicked off a round of speculation connecting him to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, who used to play for PSG, can’t believe Chelsea took such a hard line. Rosenior made it official: Fernandez won’t play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale, or next weekend’s key Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The coach said Fernandez crossed the line when it comes to the club’s values, after talking about his interest in Spain.
But Pastore says that’s just not right. “This punishment doesn’t fit at all. You’re banning one of Chelsea’s most important players from two really crucial games that could decide if they make the Champions League,” he told The Athletic. Pastore says Fernandez is an anchor for the squad and, in his view, there’s no real justification for such a harsh response.
All this goes back to Fernandez telling an interviewer he’d like to live in Spain one day. Rosenior saw that as a distraction and disrespectful to the club, but Pastore insists his client was just honest about his lifestyle preferences, not making a pitch for a Real Madrid move. According to Pastore, Fernandez didn’t ask for this, and even though he accepted the coach’s call because he’s professional and respects the team, he still doesn’t get why it happened. “He never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave Chelsea, not even close,” Pastore added. Fernandez only brought up Madrid because it reminds him of Buenos Aires, with the language and culture. “He never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London,” Pastore pointed out.
And the timing couldn’t be messier. The club and Fernandez’s team have been talking about a possible contract extension for the £107 million signing, but this drama just put everything under a microscope. Pastore warned the board that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of this summer’s World Cup, Fernandez will start looking at other clubs. That’s more pressure on a club already juggling internal issues. Pastore blamed journalists for overhyping Fernandez’s comments, insisting, “He never said he wanted to leave reporters just twisted things.”
Fernandez isn’t the only one clashing with Rosenior, either. The manager recently had to deal with Marc Cucurella’s interview about wanting to go back to Barcelona. Cucurella didn’t get suspended, but Rosenior made it clear he wasn’t happy those views went public instead of being handled inside the club. So, there’s definitely more than one fire to put out at Cobham these days.
MOISES CAICEDO SPARKS REAL MADRID TRANSFER RUMORS WITH "TIME WILL TELL" ADMISSION
Chelsea’s season hits a low point as Caicedo admits tactical struggles and refuses to rule out a Real Madrid move.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo isn’t exactly shutting down the rumours about a move to Real Madrid. When reporters asked if he could see himself joining Madrid one day, he dodged a firm answer. It’s a messy time for Chelsea, too, with captain Enzo Fernandez openly saying he likes Madrid and wouldn’t mind living in Spain. Fernandez got dropped for the next two games, and his agent is fuming about what he called an “unfair” decision.
It’s not helping the mood at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea just crashed out of the Champions League after four straight losses to PSG, and they’ve slipped to sixth in the league. The new manager, Liam Rosenior, is trying to pull everyone together before Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal against Port Vale. Still, there’s clear tension: Marc Cucurella used the international break to voice his own frustration.
Now Caicedo, another crucial player, has added to the uncertainty. Speaking to reporters in Madrid while on duty with Ecuador, he didn’t exactly hide the possibility of switching clubs: “You never really know in football, right?” he said. “I’m under contract with Chelsea, and honestly, I haven’t thought about leaving. But you just never know.”
He didn’t leave much doubt that he’s enjoying his time in London, though. “Chelsea is a great club. They’ve looked after me since I got here, and I want to give something back every game, for as long as I’m here. Time will tell.”
Caicedo has made 139 appearances since Chelsea spent £115 million to bring him in from Brighton last August. His contract runs until June 2031, which makes all the transfer talk kind of hypothetical for now, but his other quotes didn’t exactly kill the speculation.
Then there’s the coaching situation. Cucurella spoke up about how the team has struggled since Enzo Maresca left in January, and Caicedo agreed. “It’s tough. We got used to a certain style with Maresca, and Rosenior does things differently. It’s been hard to adapt,” he said. “Sometimes you adjust fast, sometimes it takes longer. Honestly, the whole team feels it right now. But we just have to push through. There’s still a lot to play for.”
