There has been one major absence from Chelsea’s teamsheet this season, and the defensive numbers highlight just how much Moises Caicedo has been missed.
Caicedo has only featured once, coming off the bench against Brighton, but his return lasted just 13 minutes before he was forced off with a recurrence of his injury.
He has since withdrawn from international duty with Ecuador, with no clear timeframe set for his return. Chelsea will be hoping he is back in contention for the Bournemouth fixture alongside some of their other absentees.
Chelsea fans have missed him, Xabi Alonso wants him back, but there is one player who will be desperate to see the Ecuadorian’s name back on the teamsheet sooner rather than later.
Chelsea’s problems this season have largely been viewed as defensive, but the player who could benefit most from Caicedo’s return is not a defender at all. It is Cole Palmer. Without Caicedo, the balance of Chelsea’s midfield shifts, and nobody feels that change more than the player the Blues need to be their biggest attacking threat.
Caicedo’s value cannot simply be measured through tackles won or passes completed. It is also in the ground he covers and the spaces he closes that few other players in the squad can replicate with their energy. When he is absent, the Duracell bunny is replaced by a couple of batteries from Walmart. Chelsea lose some of that relentless energy in midfield, making it harder to press aggressively without leaving gaps for opponents to play through or around.
That impact is felt further up the pitch, too. Palmer is at his best when he can operate high and centrally with the freedom to create, but without Caicedo providing that defensive security, he can be forced deeper to help protect the midfield or compensate when Chelsea are being overrun.
That's the real cost of Caicedo's absence. It's not just a weaker defensive shield, it's a Palmer who has less freedom to be Chelsea's primary source of creativity because the team around him needs him doing a different job. A player of his quality, and his current injury problems, shouldn't be spending energy on defensive responsibilities that a fit, in-form Caicedo would otherwise take care of almost single-handedly.
Caicedo’s return will not suddenly fix all of Chelsea’s defensive problems, but it should restore some much-needed balance in midfield. With greater protection behind him, Palmer can stay higher up the pitch and focus on creating and attacking instead of constantly having to drop back and help solve problems that should not be his responsibility too much, just a little bit.
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