Forget Enzo Fernandez: Three Chelsea players who must start vs Tottenham after Wolves thriller
Enzo Maresca has some tricky decisions to make before Chelsea travel across London to face fierce rivals Tottenham.
Liam Delap will be suspended for the clash on Saturday, 1 November, after an “embarrassing” few minutes on the pitch as a substitute, getting sent off after just 26 minutes against Wolves.
The 22-year-old had only just returned from injury, with Tyrique George helping to lead the line for Chelsea in recent weeks, and the Blues have lost just one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Maresca was able to make wholesale changes in the Carabao Cup, including dropping Enzo Fernandez, and still squeak through to the next round, so here are three players who simply must start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Jorrel Hato
Starts have been extremely rare for Jorrel Hato since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, but each time he is thrown into the spotlight, he takes the opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
Despite the Blues conceding three goals to the Old Gold, the Dutchman remained a standout player for Maresca, grabbing an assist, not being dribbled past, and not even losing possession once.
Whether he is up against Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, or any other pacey winger on Saturday, the manager should be confident that Hato has that player in his back pocket for 90 minutes.
Andrey Santos
Possibly one player who can keep Fernandez out of the lineup ahead of the trip to North London, Andrey Santos was simply sensational against Wolves, notching a goal and an assist in 90 minutes.
He was an absolute nuisance for the opposition, being fouled four times, dictating play from the middle of the park, and also winning 88 per cent of his ground duels at Molineux Stadium [FotMob].
The Brazilian has shown glimpses of what he is truly capable of, but with so many ahead of him in the pecking order, the 21-year-old has to take his chances when they become available. He did exactly that.
Jamie Gittens
Chelsea fans have been unimpressed with Jamie Gittens since his big-money arrival, but with a real chance to shine against Wolves, some of the doubters seem to have disappeared.
He topped off the night with a sensational long-range effort after already grabbing two assists, and Wolves just couldn’t deal with his pace and trickery down the left flank.
Pedro Porro is struggling for form at Spurs this season, and if Gittens puts out a similar display this weekend, he could be key to three points in the giant Premier League clash.