Chelsea sweat over Moises Caicedo injury latest, two compelling stats speak volumes
Enzo Maresca’s injury concerns are set to dictate his team selection when Chelsea welcome Jose Mourinho’s Benfica to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Maresca’s star man, Cole Palmer, remains absent with a groin injury that saw him substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on 20 September.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have now lost three of their last four games across all competitions, with a 2-1 victory over Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup offering little respite.
Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, 27 September, leaving them eighth in the top flight.
Moises Caicedo could miss Chelsea vs Benfica
Chelsea’s upcoming Champions League clash on 30 September plays host to an intriguing narrative, with Mourinho set to return to Stamford Bridge with Benfica.
Meanwhile, Maresca revealed to the press on Monday, 29 September, that Caicedo, Joao Pedro, and Andrey Santos all need to be assessed before the match with Benfica.
Caicedo would be a particularly big miss for Chelsea, as he has made more tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes than any other Blues player in the Premier League this term.
Enzo Maresca will be desperate to maintain Chelsea’s strong record against Jose Mourinho
Mourinho has only won four of his 14 matches against Chelsea across all competitions, and none of those victories have come in his last seven games against his former club.
| Jose Mourinho record vs Chelsea | All competitions |
| Matches | 14 |
| Won | 4 |
| Drawn | 3 |
| Lost | 7 |
The 62-year-old’s last win over the Blues came in February 2018, when he steered Man United to a 2-1 triumph in the Premier League.
Maresca is under pressure amid Chelsea’s poor form, but maintaining his club’s strong record against Mourinho would certainly help his cause.
Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in their last Champions League game has made their clash with Benfica on 30 September even more important.
Achieving a win over the Portuguese giants won’t be easy, though, as they are unbeaten in their three games under Mourinho, having yielded two victories and a draw.
Meanwhile, Mourinho boasts a strong Champions League record, previously winning the competition with both Porto and Italian giants Inter in 2004 and 2010, respectively.