Chelsea need all the help that they can get at this moment as they are on a three-game losing streak when it comes to facing top-flight opposition, and barely got past League One side Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup. Their next test is going to be against Benfica in the Champions League, at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues almost have to win this one to restore some positive around the place.
The good news going into the game is that Chelsea have been handed a major double injury boost. It has raised hopes that two of their most important players are going to be involved on the night.
As reported by The Standard, both Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro trained ahead of the match against Benfica. They are two that Maresca had said were carrying small problems.
So, it is a positive that they were involved in training. Now, one can only hope that they are fit enough to feature on the night.
Chelsea handed double injury boost before Benfica game
Of course, this is a position where Chelsea have put themselves in, in a way. When Liam Delap got injured, Nicolas Jackson's loan should not have been sanctioned, even if the player was keen to see it go through. He is a bench player at Bayern Munich anyway, and probably would have gotten a lot more playing time at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea did bring back Marc Guiu from his loan spell, but it just does not feel like he is someone Maresca trusts completely. Instead, he has preferred to play Tyrique George up front when the need is there, which tells you everything you need to know.
On the other hand, Pedro is believed to have not been 100% fit for a while now. But due to Chelsea's lack of options up top, the Brazilian has not really been given a chance to recover.