Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso during Chelsea's win over Leeds United(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
View 3 Images
John Obi Mikel believes Xabi Alonso might soon be handed a solution to a big problem he has at Chelsea right now.
The Blues have endured a mixed start to the new season. While Chelsea have been breathtaking in attacking areas at times, it has been the complete contrast down the other end of the pitch.
Only Brighton (13) have scored more than Alonso's side (10) in the four Premier League matches of the new campaign thus far. However, only Crystal Palace (11), Coventry City and Ipswich Town (10) have shipped more goals than Chelsea (nine).
While the Blues defenders have not covered themselves in glory and while they have been rightly criticised at times, there is plenty to be said about how much Chelsea are missing the injured Moises Caicedo.
POLL
The Ecuador international, who has arguably been Chelsea's most consistent midfield performer since moving to Stamford Bridge in August 2023, has featured just once this season. Caicedo suffered a calf injury before the opening weekend win over Fulham last month and returned against Brighton a couple of weeks later.
Alonso, though, rushed Caicedo back, to the manager's own admission, and he suffered a recurrence of the problem and was forced off the pitch in west London. There is some hope that Caicedo will return on Friday evening for Chelsea's trip to Brentford in the Premier League.
When asked on Caicedo last week, Alonso said "let's see" if the Ecuadorian would be fit enough to take part at the Gtech Community Stadium. He was not spotted during the first 15 minutes (where TV cameras were allowed to record) of Chelsea's training session on Tuesday but we do not know if he took any part once the reporters left the field.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo is struggling with a calf injury
Moises Caicedo is struggling with a calf injury(Image: Visionhaus)
View 3 Images
Either way, Caicedo appears to be closing in on a return to action. Mikel, once a defensive-minded midfielder in a very successful Chelsea side, is perhaps more qualified than most to talk about Caicedo's absence.
The Nigerian believes once the midfielder is back and fully fit, Chelsea will look like a different team. Speaking on the latest episode of The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said: "It's going to take time, it's going to take time.
"I think Xabi Alonso is the right manager for this team, I think he's the right manager for this club going forward. He has some really, really good ideas - I can see what he's trying to do, but it's going to take a little bit of time.
"We brought in a really, really good goalkeeper, a really experienced goalkeeper. Yes, there have been question marks with some of the goals he has conceded, albeit with our defence not being solid, which is right because we're not defending well at all.
"We talk about our defence. To defend well, you need a holding player, whose job is to be there and knows his job, 'my job is to be able to shield this back four, my job is to be able to break up plays, my job is to make sure that my back four is protected.'
"So far, right now, Reece James has been absolutely superb, covering for the likes of Moises Caicedo, who is out injured and Enzo Fernandez who we lost. Reece James is not a midfield player, he is a right-back and that is where he's brilliant.
"Play him there at right-back, that's where we know Reece - that's his best position. So far, he's done a good job, but that's not his position. Defensively-wise, when you're playing there and that is not your position, you have to be able to smell danger when you play in that position.
"You have to be able to know, to feel the danger, where's it coming from. You smell it and straight away, you're there to make those tackles and break up play. So far, we do not have that.
"We are missing Caicedo. I said it from the start, once we get Caicedo back, I think we'll be a much, much solid team. He is the guy that breaks up play, he is the guy that makes sure our back four is well protected, our back four is solid.
Moises Caicedo limps off
Moises Caicedo limped off in Chelsea's win over Brighton(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside)
View 3 Images
"We know what Caicedo can give us, we know what he can bring to the team. That energy he brings, break up play, setting up plays, driving the ball forward. Just what Declan Rice is doing for Arsenal - that's what Moises Caicedo brings for us.
"He's been an absolutely huge miss for us. When he brings back, I think we'll be a much, much better team. There's no question about that."
Mikel continued: "But again, that is one position the club failed to strengthen during the transfer window. We failed, we knew Enzo Fernandez wanted to leave the football club, we knew he wanted to go.
"Yes, we got £125m sitting in the bank, but we failed to bring in another player, a replacement, and that's why we're suffering right now. We're suffering in that position.
"We're talking about leaking goals, we're talking about conceding, yes you can blame the defence but you need at least two holding players to shield that defence in that system. You're going to be exposed.
"The likes of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, they're not going to defend as much. By the way, we don't want them to track all the way back and defend because their job is to defend at the halfway line and when the ball gets to them, they go out there and do what they do best; create chances and score goals."
Get YOUR Chelsea Newsletter
All the best news, features, updates and analysis from Bobby Vincent and more straight to your Inbox!
Yours in just two simple steps.