When Chelsea visits a good Liverpool squad at Anfield following this international break, they will be put to the test. Regretfully, the Blues will have to contend with their least formidable team this season.
They will undoubtedly be without the suspended Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana from their defence line, even if Noni Madueke and Levi Colwill recover from their injuries—which manager Enzo Maresca downplayed as minor in his post-game news conference.
Although Robert Sanchez, who is behind them, had a strong performance yesterday, he has looked unreliable this season. Despite having only two clean sheets in their first seven Premier League games, the Blues have had a strong start to the season. Out of the two, one was played against Bournemouth, and we had the great fortune to avoid conceding.
We’ll be pushed to the absolute limit against Liverpool.
Managers had to devise ingenious measures to offset absenteeism
Renato Veiga will play on the left in Cucurella’s absence. Although he has shown promise in our cup matches thus far, the calibre of opposition he will face will be significantly higher than before. Mo Salah poses a far greater threat than the player Servette was assigned on the right wing.
Tosin will also enter the defence in place of Fofana. That is tolerable, but we don’t have much faith in Benoit Badiashile or Axel Disasi if Colwill is also out.
This is the moment when Enzo Maresca truly demonstrates his abilities. We wonder whether the lineup will change—could an attacker be benched to make room for Romeo Lavia to return to the club in a more reliable three-man midfield with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez? Or maybe those two are also doubtful since they have games scheduled in South America in the days preceding the match?
