Chelsea are set to be without centre-back Wesley Fofana for Wednesday night’s Premier League trip to Southampton.
Fofana was forced off on the hour-mark during Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa because of a hamstring problem, with Maresca suggested could rule the defender out for up to a dozen games.
The Frenchman eased fears over the length of his absence in an upbeat social media post, while Maresca is due to give an update during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, but Fofana appears certain to miss the trip to St. Mary’s.
The choice in a new partner for Levi Colwill would appear to come down to Benoit Badiashile, who replaced Fofana on Sunday but is, like Colwill, left-footed, or Tosin Adarabioyo. Maresca also has Axel Disasi as an option but the Frenchman did not even make the bench against Villa.
Elsewhere, Maresca must decide how much to rotate ahead of the weekend’s London derby against Tottenham. Noni Madueke will likely come back into the side after being benched against Villa.
Malo Gusto could also start, while Maresca could continue to be cautious with Romeo Lavia’s workload by benching the Belgian and pushing Moises Caicedo back into midfield.
Top-scorer Christopher Nkunku is also pushing for a first Premier League start since the opening day of the season, but may have to wait, with Nicolas Jackson in prolific form.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Injured: Fofana, James
Time and date: 7:30pm GMT on Wednesday December 4, 2024
Venue: St Mary’s Stadium
How to watch: Amazon Prime Video
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