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Enzo Maresca might be sweating over his selection for the West London club’s visit to Anfield after the international break.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca will be forced to reshuffle his defence for their next Premier League showdown with Liverpool at Anfield.
Chelsea’s potential absences and potential replacements
The Blues will be without Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, both suspended after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest. This presents a significant challenge for Maresca, who has favoured consistency in his starting lineup in the Premier League and cup competitions.
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Thus, he will need to find suitable replacements for two key defensive players as Chelsea look to bounce back from a disappointing result against Forest.
Tosin Adarabioyo is expected to step in for Fofana at centre-back, while Renato Veiga could fill the void at left-back, with both players typically stepping in at both positions under the Blues’ Italian manager.
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Adding to Chelsea's concerns, Nicolas Jackson could face retrospective action for an altercation with Forest's Willy Morato, even if VAR did not deem the incident worthy of a red card, further review could lead to a suspension for the Chelsea forward according to reports.
If Jackson is unavailable, Christopher Nkunku is likely to deputise in a central striking role having replaced the Senegal international in the XI in cup matches and on the continent.
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Adding to Maresca’s headache are Levi Colwill and Noni Madueke, who hobbled off with seeming injuries in Sunday’s Forest draw.
What next for Chelsea?
Despite these challenges, the Blues will be determined to secure a positive result against Liverpool at Anfield on October 20, 2024.
Chelsea head into that gameweek eight match aiming to clinch their fourth consecutive Premier League victory under Maresca, following wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers (6-2), Bournemouth (1-0) and West Ham United (3-0).
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