Enzo Maresca admits key Chelsea star could miss Arsenal and Tottenham clashes

Enzo Maresca has revealed one Chelsea star is set to start against Leicester City despite being at risk of picking up a two-game ban.

Fresh off beating FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their Conference League last-16 tie, Chelsea host struggling Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Blues are fifth in the table but have won just three of their last 11 games and must rediscover their best form if they are to qualify for the Champions League.

Given the Foxes’ disastrous form under Ruud van Nistelrooy – three wins in 16 – many are expecting an easy win for Maresca’s side before they navigate three tricky games.

After the second leg against Copenhagen next Thursday, Chelsea take on Arsenal and Tottenham either side of the March international break.

And there is a risk that Maresca will be without one of his key players for the London derbies, with Moises Caicedo one booking away from a two-match suspension having already accumulated nine yellow cards this season.

With that in mind, one would understand if the head coach wanted to bench the defensive midfielder for the ‘easier’ Leicester game, but Maresca insists that will not happen.

‘No, no, no. I know that they said this to me, but at this moment for us, it’s about winning games,’ the Italian said in a press conference as he previewed the clash against his former club.

‘We need to win games, so we cannot plan giving Moi a rest thinking that he can play Arsenal. We need to win against Leicester and then we need to focus on how we can beat Arsenal.

‘It’s just game by game and we need our best players on the pitch.’

After a difficult first season following his £97million transfer from Brighton, Caicedo has found his feet at Stamford Bridge, though he is somewhat of a yellow card magnet.

The 23-year-old has been booked 25 times in 79 appearances for Chelsea, while only Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes and Fulham’s Sasa Lukic have more yellows in the Premier League this season.

Maresca isn’t concerned by the risk of suspension however, adding: ‘The position of Moises, if you see his background, last year he had 11 to 12 yellow cards, the year before the same, because he’s a midfielder.

‘You are in the traffic. Sometimes you have to make some fouls. It’s normal.

‘Hopefully, he can avoid that until the end. Knowing that probably it’s difficult, but the good thing is that we have also Romeo [Lavia] now, he’s started with us already.

‘He can be back. We need to be ready. Reece can be a midfielder like tonight so we’ll see.’

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