Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has reassured fans that his side remain well covered in midfield, even after Dario Essugo underwent surgery this week.
The young midfielder suffered a thigh injury on international duty, ruling him out of today’s Premier League clash against Brentford.
With Moises Caicedo returning late from international duty, Maresca faced questions on who could step in if needed during this packed run of fixtures.
“For sure, Romeo [Lavia] if he is fit,” Maresca said. “They can also play together, Moi and Romeo. I think Andrey [Santos] can play there.
“We need to try different things as well, as we tried in the past with Josh (Acheampong) as a number six, or Reece (James) as a number six. But in this moment, for sure, it is Romeo, Moi and Andrey.”
However, Maresca confirmed that Romeo Lavia is still unavailable. The Belgian midfielder continues his recovery and is not yet ready for action. The same applies to Benoit Badiashile, who is close to returning but won’t feature at Brentford.
Attention also turned to the more advanced midfield role, especially with Cole Palmer’s return still uncertain. Maresca highlighted Enzo Fernandez’s growth as a key creative force.
He added: “Enzo (Fernandez) can play there, but we have different options, even (Facundo) Buonanotte can play there. Enzo has improved a lot in the last year, no doubt, in all aspects. Also, in terms of leadership and in terms of numbers.
“I think if you see Enzo’s numbers in goals and assists, he’s one of the highest in the Premier League. So that shows that he can help us a lot in scoring goals. I have no doubt that he is going to continue to improve and doing very good things for us.”
With Essugo sidelined and Lavia not quite ready, Chelsea’s midfield rotation will be tested. But Maresca remains confident his options are strong enough to keep the Blues competitive as the season intensifies.
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