Leicester vs Chelsea: Enzo Maresca hit with midfield crisis ahead of Premier League return

5 days ago 1

Enzo Maresca could be without his preferred midfield trio when Chelsea travel to Leicester City this weekend
Romeo Lavia failed to feature for his country, Belgium, during this international break despite being called up
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, meanwhile, face an 11-hour flight to get back to England after their Wednesday morning games

Chelsea have been hit with a new midfield headache as they prepare to face Leicester City in the Premier League this weekend.

The Premier League will return on Saturday after the conclusion of the last international break of the year.

Enzo Maresca, Leicester City vs Chelsea, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo

Enzo Maresca's time at Chelsea

The early kickoff will see Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca travel back to his former stomping ground to face the Foxes. The Italian was in charge of Leicester for one season, when he won the Championship before Chelsea came calling.

His start to life in West London has been promising. With a third of the season done, he has led Chelsea to the top three places. The Blues have only lost to the two teams above them this season, making Saturday's trip an easy game on paper.

Is Romeo Lavia fit for Leicester City?

However, Maresca is facing midfield challenges after Romeo Lavia seemingly hurt his hamstring again. The Belgian was called up for international duty but failed to feature in the defeats to Italy and Israel.

"I think Romeo Lavia has a hamstring problem. It was bothering him this morning, and we didn’t want to risk him," said his coach, Domenico Tedesco, as quoted by One Football.

Why Caicedo, Fernandez could miss Leicester game

Maresca's other options include the big-money signings of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. The South American duo faces an uphill task of returning to England and recovering before the Saturday early kickoff.

Fernandez's Argentina is in action on Wednesday morning against Peru, while Caicedo's Ecuador play Colombia. As Football London reports, the earliest they can report back to Cobham is Thursday, which means they can only get one session before the Saturday game.

The three have been Maresca's go-to midfielders with the rest used in Cup games. He could be forced to go with former Leicester City player Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.