Before Saturday at Stamford Bridge, Moises Caicedo had only played 14 minutes this season after struggling with a calf injury, with the Ecuadorian gaining praise from many for how comfortable he looked.
The difference in Chelsea's midfield against the Cherries was night and day from their previous matches to how it performed on Saturday, the control Caicedo gave alongside Jordan Henderson against what was an astute midfield in Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie.
In my opinion, the midfielders that Xabi Alonso puts out are the most important players in the 11, especially with the way that Alonso sets up his side with a three-at-the-back formation and playing with wing-backs. So, having a stable and consistent midfield partnership should be at the top of Alonso's list, which is why the Blues are pushing for the currently injured Bournemouth midfielder, Alex Scott.
With the attacking talent that Chelsea has at their disposal in Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, Estevao, and Pedro Neto, Alonso's side will need to have people who can sit in and suffer whilst the attackers can push high up the field and not really have to worry about defending down the other end, and with Caicedo back, that is something that is definitely a possibility.
During Saturday night's Match of the Day programme, Alan Shearer analysed Caicedo's performance, saying he showed absolutely no signs of rust and was willing to do the 'nasty' side of the game and protect the Chelsea defence. Whilst showcasing his elegance and composure when going forward, always thinking positively even when that shouldn't always be the first thing on his mind.
Whilst Caicedo's return to fitness will please and comfort Chelsea fans, when someone that crucial to a side returns after basically two months on the sideline, it can be a lot to expect from someone to be back to their best instantly, and although Caicedo was impressive, you could see that some aspects of his performance didn't look as sharp as they would be in a couple of weeks when he gets some more minutes in his legs.
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