For as much stick as Enzo Maresca has received for rotating too much in recent weeks, Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Cardiff calls for using depth.
Chelsea’s top-eight hopes in Europe are dwindling and if they are required to take the play-off route, it’s likely they won’t have a midweek off until March.
Cardiff should not be taken for granted. The League One leaders are entering this fixture full of confidence and with nothing to lose.
Despite that, Maresca will have to rotate against Cardiff. It’s as good a chance as he will get for some time. That means trusting a new signing who hasn’t quite found his feet at Chelsea.
Jorrel Hato playing for Chelsea against Brentford in the Premier League.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Jorrel Hato needs to seize his opportunity against Cardiff
It would be a shock to see Marc Cucurella in the starting lineup on Wednesday night.
Chelsea’s star left-back has started for the Blues in all but one game in the league and every European fixture. Maresca has rested him almost exclusively in the Carabao Cup.
His stand-in, Jorrel Hato, has started just six games since arriving at Stamford Bridge — four at left-back and two at centre-back. It looks like he hasn’t gained the manager’s trust.
Enzo Maresca is ready to give Andrey Santos and Jorrel Hato a chance 👏
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Enzo Maresca on Andrey Santos and Jorrel Hato
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Cucurella has been elite for Chelsea this season and doesn’t need to miss a host of games, but it’s also not a good idea to run the risk of overworking with a player who has been susceptible to injuries in the past.
If he were to miss significant time, it would be a huge blow and even worse if there wasn’t a trustworthy replacement in the squad.
Hato is a young player with heaps of potential, but he hasn’t found the form you would want from a back-up.
Chelsea may need to look in January
Chelsea aren’t going to replace Hato. They absolutely shouldn’t. All the signs point to him being a top player, but at just 19, he might not be ready for the role required from Maresca.
It’s different with defenders at that age than for a forward like Estevao Willian. The responsibility and pressure not to make mistakes is tenfold when you’re operating around your own box.
Hato is adjusting to English football and that shouldn’t be rushed. The problem is that besides him, there are no other natural left-backs to cover. Yet another example of how sometimes squad-building can take a back seat at Chelsea.
The position that Chelsea MUST strengthen in 2026 is _ _ _ _ _ _
Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali and directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart at Wolves game
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If he’s not ready to cover and something happens to keep Cucurella out, that feels like a real risk area in Maresca’s side.
The young Dutchman has the quality to grow into the role, but it feels like Cardiff will be a real test of where he is at. It could tell us he can be relied on, or it could be a sign that investment is needed at left-back in January.
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