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Chelsea fell to a disappointing defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday evening with Enzo Maresca now facing a suspension worry and an injury concern
Moises Caicedo is at risk of facing another suspension after the Chelsea midfielder picked up his fourth Premier League yellow card of the season in the defeat to Aston Villa.
The Ecuadorian was booked in the second-half for a foul in his own half and is now one yellow card away from a one-match suspension. Fortunately for Caicedo, he only has to go one game without being booked as the next game - Bournemouth at home - is the 19th match of the season and therefore the cut-off point in regards to a ban. After that, players will be given a two-match suspension should they receive 10 yellow cards.
Chelsea only recently saw Caicedo return to Premier League action following a three-game suspension in relation to the straight red card he received in the draw with Arsenal last month. If Caicedo was to get booked against Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, then he would miss the crucial trip to Manchester City at the beginning of next month.
Elsewhere, Enzo Maresca will be sweating on the fitness of Marc Cucurella. The Spain international was taken off just under 70 minutes into the defeat against Aston Villa with the left-back feeling some pain in his hamstring.
Maresca said: "Because he was complaining about hamstring, so we don't know if it's an injury now or not. So he asked for the change."
Jorrel Hato, Cucurella's deputy, was not in the squad for the Villa loss after picking up a problem during last weekend's half-time warm-up at Newcastle United.
Maresca will be hoping Cucurella is fine for when Bournemouth come to Stamford Bridge in a couple of days' time and the head coach will also be desperate for a more clinical performance in front of goal than he witnessed on Saturday evening. Chelsea were dominant in the first-half against Villa but were left to rue missed opportunities with the visitors fighting back in the second period in SW6.
When asked to explain his side's lack of end product, Maresca said: "It's general. We arrived so many times there, outside with the wingers. I think tonight we were 1v1 so many times between first half and second half. Inside the box, it's a general situation where in the last third we can do better."
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