Enzo Maresca made several changes in Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Leeds United on Wednesday, which ended up costing his side.
One of those changes was forced, with Moises Caicedo unavailable following his red card against Arsenal last weekend.
Maresca thinks the 24-year-old was a big miss for Chelsea, which no one will deny. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
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However, Caicedo is not the only player the Blues could have done with at Elland Road.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and Moises Caicedo
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Chelsea missed Wesley Fofana more than Moises Caicedo
In his post-match press conference, Maresca was asked about Caicedo specifically.
“I think, again, we missed Moi tonight, we’re going to miss Moi in the next game,” the Chelsea manager told football.london and other outlets.
Looking at how the game played out, though, Wesley Fofana may have actually been a bigger miss than the Ecuadorian.
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Josh Acheampong of Chelsea FC arrives at stadium
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Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile really struggled at the heart of Chelsea’s defence. It was a very physical game, a physical game that neither centre-half seemed prepared for.
The duo got bullied by Leeds’ two forwards, something that does not happen too often to Fofana, who is probably Chelsea’s most dominant central defender when he is fit.
Unfortunately, Fofana’s fitness record is an issue, which is why Maresca had to leave him out of the matchday squad. But had the 24-year-old played, it could have been a completely different game.
Mikel Merino of Arsenal challenged by Wesley Fofana of Chelsea
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Wesley Fofana’s performance vs Arsenal
An example of Fofana being such a dominant defender could be seen in Chelsea’s recent draw with Arsenal. The Frenchman was good in the air that day and defended well overall.
He could have perhaps dealt with Mikel Merino a bit better before his goal, but Bukayo Saka’s delivery was excellent. Sometimes you just have to give credit.
In total, Fofana still managed to win six out of seven aerial duels, according to Sofascore. He also made 11 clearances, more than any other player on the pitch.
When Fofana is fit, the France international has to play. At Elland Road, it was clear to see why.