After the defeat at the hands of Sunderland at the weekend, fresh questions are being raised about this Chelsea team. For the last few weeks, it had looked like the Blues were starting to pick up some momentum and had strung together four wins on the trot. They had not faced an in-form team on that brief run though. When they did, they could not handle it and lost at home to the newly-promoted side.
In the aftermath of that result, Enzo Maresca has spoken about how some of his players are playing through fitness issues at the moment. And it looks like a trio could be set to miss the game against Wolves.
Of course, you don't want important players to miss a match of this magnitude. This competition might be Chelsea's best chance at winning some silverware this season.
Unfortunately, they could be without the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro on the day. As reported by football.london, Maresca said about them:
"They are probably players that need to be protected. Probably tomorrow. We will see. Enzo, Moi and Joao, they are all different players for different reasons we need to protect them."
Three key Chelsea players could miss game vs Wolves
Caicedo is Chelsea's most important player, especially in the absence of Cole Palmer. He has even shown an eye for goal this season and is fantastic with his overall play in the middle of the park. So, the Blues would miss the Ecuadorian if he does not feature against Wolves.
Fernandez probably does not get enough credit for the job that he does. Yes, he is no longer the one controlling the pace and tempo of the game, like he used to under previous managers. That being said, one cannot take away from his impact on matches. In the absence of Palmer, it feels like he is the most likely player to score for Chelsea these days.
And while Pedro has faced heavy criticism lately, having not had a shot on target in six games, there is no doubt about his technical quality as a footballer. Chelsea might miss that in an away game against Wolves.