There is no getting away from the fact that the last couple of weeks have not been good for Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca’s side drew away to Brentford, lost away to Bayern Munich and Manchester United and then, after just about beating Lincoln City in the League Cup, lost again against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Now, there have certainly been mitigating circumstances in all of those games, but even so, the West Londoners need to arrest this dip in form quickly.
Brighton
3-1 Loss
Lincoln
2-1 Win
Man Utd
2-1 Loss
Bayern
3-1 Loss
Brentford
2-2 Draw
Unfortunately, their job has not been made any easier by the number of injuries they are currently contending with, including Andrey Santos, who is yet another player in danger of missing the Champions League game against Benfica.
So, to ensure his side can get one over Chelsea’s former manager, José Mourinho, Maresca needs to replace the Brazilian in the starting line-up, and luckily, he has just the player.
Chelsea's injury problems
Following Maresca’s pre-game press conference, we know there are now six players who are guaranteed to miss the game against Benfica.
The most significant of those is undoubtedly Cole Palmer, who continues to be rested with hopes that his groin injury can be resolved without surgical intervention.
Not as worrying, but still an issue is the absence of Wesley Fofana, who has to sit out more games due to his concussion, and Tosin Adarabioyo, who has a calf problem and will likely be out until after the international break.
These two being unable to play means that the out-of-form Trevoh Chalobah will have to start alongside the unreliable Benoît Badiashile.
As if that wasn’t already enough to deal with, the manager told the press that Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Santos are now all players “with some small problems.”
The Argentine did say that the trio would be assessed and that there is still a chance they’ll be available, but at this point, it feels safe to assume they won’t be starting the game.
So then, with that in mind, Maresca has to go ahead and unleash one of Chelsea’s most exciting talents in place of Santos, a talent who could help the club get one over their former boss, Mourinho.
The Chelsea star who should star in place of Santos
Now, while Enzo Fernández will likely start in central midfield and the exciting Facundo Buonanotte can play in the ten, Maresca still needs another slightly more defensive-minded midfielder to come in.
Chalkboard
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In this instance, that player should be the recently returned Roméo Lavia.
The once-capped Belgian has had to deal with his own horrendous injury issues since joining the Blues in the summer of 2023, but he looked unreal in his season with Southampton, and when he’s had a chance, he’s looked good for the West Londoners.
The 21-year-old is more than solid when it comes to the defensive side of the game, and could be the perfect answer in the six for this game, but he’s also no slouch when it comes to the offensive side of things.
For example, FBref ranked him in the top 3% of Premier League midfielders for interceptions last season, the top 4% for pass completion and percentage of aerial duels won, and the top 12% for passes into the final third, among other metrics.
Pass Completion % (Long)
84.0%
Top 1%
Pass Completion % (Medium)
94.8%
Top 3%
Interceptions
1.81
Top 3%
Pass Completion %
91.7%
Top 4%
% of Aerials Won
66.7%
Top 4%
Successful Take-On %
62.5%
Top 7%
npxG/Shot
0.13
Top 9%
Passes into Final Third
5.53
Top 12%
Passes Completed (Medium)
20.78
Top 17%
SCA (Defensive Action)
0.11
Top 12%
Tackles (Mid 3rd)
1.47
Top 12%
Tkl+Int
4.29
Top 12%
In other words, the numbers more than back up the idea that the “elite” talent, as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig, is someone who can help break up opposition attacks before kick-starting attacks for his own team.
Finally, while it might take some time for fans to see him at his best, this game against competitive but comparatively weaker opposition may be the best opportunity to get him more minutes.
Therefore, even if Santos is fit and ready to go, Maresca would be wise to unleash Lavia against Benfica, as the Belgian could be the key in helping him get one over Mourinho.