Chelsea are gearing up for another afternoon of embarrassing a team coached by Ange Postecoglou, though this Nottingham Forest side looks like it’s been dragged down even more than the 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur side that Big Ange at least coached to a Europa League title last season.
But Chelsea can’t look at Postecoglou as a walk in the park either, because not only do Forest have a talented squad, but Chelsea are missing some key players due to injury.
In addition to the multi-week injuries to stars Cole Palmer and Benoit Badiashile, Chelsea could be missing three more crucial players to short-term absences for this matchup against Forest.
According to Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca ahead of the game, star midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are in doubt for the Saturday fixture, as is standout forward Joao Pedro.
Maresca said, via Fabrizio Romano, “Moi Caicedo, Enzo Fernández and Pedro are all doubts for this weekend. Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Andrey Santos are all back”.
Having the two center backs in the lineup is a big deal, especially with Badiashile out, but the collective impact of potentially missing the entire starting midfield pivot would be huge for Elliot Anderson and Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea are still in Premier League title contention and every point counts. They need to prove they have the depth to win with anyone out, as injuries hit all the top teams regardless.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.