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Marc Cucurella rarely had the opportunity to recharge his batteries during Enzo Maresca's spell in charge at Chelsea
Marc Cucurella has left Liam Rosenior no choice but to find a solution to one of Chelsea's biggest problems. The 27-year-old defender will miss the Blues' clash against Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon due to suspension.
He was given his marching orders during the first half of Chelsea's disappointing defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night after pulling back Harry Wilson when he was through on goal. Fortunately for Cucurella, with some difficult games on the horizon, he will only be issued a one-match ban, which can be served across all domestic competitions.
The Spain international will therefore miss the west Londoners' trip to The Valley at the weekend. He will then become available for selection again when Chelsea lock horns with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
While Cucurella was likely to be rested anyway, having only recently returned from a brief spell on the sidelines, he's left Rosenior no choice but to find a solution to his absence. This season, only two outfielders have played more minutes than the Spaniard for Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca rarely rested him, despite the Blues forking out £36m to sign Jorrel Hato from Ajax in the summer transfer window. That said, however, Cucurella played a crucial role in the Italian's setup, either inverting into midfield to assist build-up or bombing forward to provide a threat in the final third.
Meanwhile, his understudy, who had played over 100 times for the Dutch giants, featured sparingly. Hato made a great impression off the bench in Chelsea's dramatic win over Liverpool, which earned him a couple of starts in the UEFA Champions League.
He did well in the Blues' win over Ajax, but was somewhat disappointing in the 2-2 draw away to Qarabag. Before Maresca stepped down, the teenager's only other appearance was in the Carabao Cup.
During this period, Cucurella was run into the ground before eventually suffering a hamstring problem. Calum McFarlane finally handed Hato his first Premier League minutes since October in Chelsea's draw to Manchester City earlier this month.
The Netherlands international featured again in the Blues' defeat to Fulham a few days later, coming on for Andrey Santos shortly after Cucurella was shown a red card. Hato caught the eye in each of his appearances, showing Rosenior exactly what he's capable of.
With the Spaniard suspended and Malo Gusto spotted hobbling out of Craven Cottage, Hato looks primed for a start at the weekend. The Dutchman could have the opportunity to impress his new boss, cement a place in the starting lineup, and begin to fulfil his lofty potential.
A run of starts could see Hato grow to become the 'next Jurrien Timber'. In an interview with The Athletic in September 2024, the Chelsea wonderkid explained why he idolises the Arsenal defender.
Hato said: "Coaches told me that I always needed to look up to Virgil van Dijk, but when I played in the under-18s, I always looked up to Jurrien Timber. I played with him for six months before he left, and I learned so much from him.
"When I came into the first team, he was my mentor. I love his playing style, his calmness on the ball. And he is just a great defender in defending terms."
A few months prior, speaking to Dutch outlet VI, Hato said: "I think I've improved a lot this season, especially at left-back. Last season, I played a lot as a centre-back, but this season I'm just a left-back."
On whether he discussed the position change with Timber, who enjoyed a similar transformation under Mikel Arteta, Hato said: "Yes, I did talk to Jurrien about that.
"He made his debut as a full-back and left as a central defender. And now, at Arsenal, he plays everywhere in the back! He's definitely a role model for me."
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