Enzo Maresca has put himself back in Chelsea fans’ good books with the lineup he selected to face Bournemouth.
After getting plenty of stick for calls made against Leeds, his Chelsea XI to face Bournemouth inspired far more confidence.
Seeing Cole Palmer coming off the bench against Leeds was a rare midweek positive, and the news of him starting was a welcome boost after over two months off the team sheet.
But while one Chelsea star is making his highly-anticipated comeback, another is on a very different path.
Chelsea’s team to face the Cherries.
What would you have done differently? 👀
Chelsea XI vs Bournemouth
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Tosin Adarabioyo left out of matchday squad for Bournemouth
It was a rough week for Tosin Adarabioyo.
Chelsea fans were furious with Maresca for how he set up his back line, and Tosin’s costly error meant that frustration was directed at him more than anyone.
For the trip to the Vitality, Tosin was omitted from the squad entirely. Kieran Gill revealed on X that this was a conscious choice.
He writes: “Tosin Adarabioyo’s absence from the #CFC squad is a selection decision – no injury. Wesley Fofana in after missing the last match as his minutes were being managed.”
The 28-year-old is one of Chelsea’s more experienced players, but another head-scratcher of a moment has pushed many fans over the edge.
His future is very much in doubt.
Was Tosin Adarabioyo’s mistake against Leeds worse than Edouard Mendy’s?
Take a trip back to Chelsea’s glorious 2022/23 season! 😅
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Tosin could be the first to go in January
Chelsea’s record with and without Tosin is pretty damning.
The overwhelming opinion is that he needs to be dropped, and Maresca appears to agree.
It might just be for this one game, but it feels more likely that he has fallen out of the manager’s plans.
The Blues need to sign a new centre-back — Tosin feels like the likely candidate to go the other way.
With the January window just weeks away, we may have seen the last of the centre-back. Not a great last memory on the pitch if that is the case.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox