Coach Enzo Maresca loses his most crucial midfielder ahead of the Man City match

Coach Enzo Maresca will not have one of his most important players available for the Chelsea versus Manchester City game.

Midfielder Moises Caicedo will be suspended for the next Premier League match due to accumulating enough yellow cards. The Ecuadorian international was booked just 4 minutes into the game between Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth after fouling Adrien Truffert on a counterattack. This was Caicedo’s fifth yellow card after 19 rounds this season, resulting in a one-match suspension.

This penalty comes at the worst possible time for Maresca’s Chelsea. The FIFA Club World Cup champions will face Man City in the opening match of 2026, and now they must do so without one of the league’s best midfielders.

Earlier this month, Caicedo had only received 2 yellow cards in the 2025/26 season. However, he picked up 3 yellow cards in his last 3 games of 2025, against Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth respectively.

Facing Man City, who currently hold an 8-game winning streak is already a huge challenge for Chelsea, especially away from home. Pep Guardiola’s team has been nearly unstoppable over the past six weeks, playing with the confident style befitting their 8 Premier League titles.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s form has declined. Including the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, they have won only 2 of their last 9 matches across all competitions. Maresca’s squad has dropped points against Arsenal, Leeds United, Bournemouth, Atalanta, Newcastle, and Aston Villa during this period.

A commanding performance at Etihad could provide the morale boost Chelsea needs, but without Caicedo, they are likely to struggle against Man City’s aggressive attacking and smooth, fast passing in midfield.

Reece James is expected to partner with Enzo Fernández. Andrey Santos is another option, but his last Premier League start was disastrous in Chelsea’s 1–3 loss to Leeds.