Chelsea are back in action once again in the Premier League as they travel away from London to take on Unai Emery's Aston Villa this evening.
Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping for an instant response from his side after a disappointing night on Tuesday at The Emirates against Arsenal.
The Blues were thumped 5-0 by the Gunners, with former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz finding the back of the net twice, and the Argentine boss may now look to make a number of changes to the starting XI from that match.
Cole Palmer missed the defeat to Arsenal through illness but has been spotted back in training ahead of this clash at Villa Park, which suggests that he may be available to return to the lineup.
One player who will need to be replaced in the XI, however, is central midfielder Enzo Fernandez after the club confirmed that he will miss the rest of the season.
The Argentina international has undergone successful surgery on a knee injury and will now start to prepare to be fit for the 2024/25 campaign.
Pochettino must now finally unleash young whiz Cesare Casadei from the start for the first time in the Premier League to replace Fernandez, whilst also bringing Palmer straight back into the team.
Who Cole Palmer should replace for Chelsea
The Chelsea boss could drop Noni Madueke from the starting XI to unleash the England international on the right flank, with Conor Gallagher keeping his place in the middle and Mykhailo Mudryk starting on the left flank.
Signed from Dutch side PSV at the start of last year, the left-footed whiz has failed to nail down a regular starting spot for the club on either flank.
Appearances
17
Starts
7
Goals
3
xG
1.47
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.6
Big chances created
1
As you can see in the table above, Madueke has not made a consistent impact in the final third, with three direct goal contributions in 17 games, whilst Palmer has been in sensational form.
The ex-Manchester City starlet has been a revelation in the Premier League this season with his sublime return of goals and assists for the Blues.
He has chalked up a staggering 20 goals and nine assists in 28 league matches, including 23 starts, which means that the left-footed star has been directly involved in more than one goal per game.
His 20 goals have come from an xG (Expected Goals) of 14.95, whilst his nine assists have come from 12 'big chances' created. This suggests that Palmer has been incredibly efficient in front of goal and his teammates have let him down at times with the quality of their finishing.
The English magician must be unleashed over Madueke for this clash with Villa tonight, and Casadei should take Fernandez's place in the deeper role in midfield.
Enzo Fernandez's season in numbers
The Argentina international's Premier League season has been a mixed bag with some terrific displays but also some worrying performances in the middle of the park.
In the 5-0 loss to Arsenal on Tuesday, for example, Fernandez lost 80% (8/10) of his physical duels against the likes of Thomas Partey and Declan Rice, and failed to create a single chance for his teammates.
This shows that he was weak out of possession and did not make up for that with quality play on the ball to drag his team back into the match in North London.
Appearances
28
xG
6.18
Goals
3
Key passes per game
1.1
Ground duel success rate
48%
Aerial duel success rate
48%
Dribbled past per game
1.4
As you can see in the table above, his work on and off the ball throughout the Premier League season has been far from perfect for the Blues.
He has lost the majority of his duels, both on the deck and in the air, and has significantly underperformed in front of goal with an underperformance of -3.18 on xG.
Fernandez does, however, rank within the top 7% of midfielders in the Premier League for progressive passes per 90 (8.56), which shows that he has been one of the best in his position at breaking lines and finding teammates in advanced positions to start attacks.
Why Cesare Casadei should be unleashed
The 21-year-old midfielder returned to the club in January after spending the first half of the campaign on loan with Leicester City in the Championship.
Casadei chipped in with two goals in 22 league appearances for the Foxes, starting eight of those games, and won 55% of his individual duels, which shows that the youngster held his own in physical battles.
Appearances
7
Starts
7
Goals
7
Assists
1
Key passes per game
1.3
Duel success rate
56%
As you can see in the table above, he came into this season off the back of a stunning U20 World Cup campaign with his country last summer – showcasing his box-crashing ability from midfield.
The Italian dynamo, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed is going "under the radar", has played games as a substitute in the Premier League since his return to Stamford Bridge, and has won an impressive 79% of his duels so far – winning four of his five duels off the bench against Arsenal on Tuesday.
He has yet to provide a goal or an assist for the Blues in the division but his form for Leicester and Italy's U20 side suggests that the potential is there for him to chip in with contributions on a semi-regular basis.
This injury to Fernandez is the perfect opportunity for Pochettino to bring him into the starting XI for the first time in his Premier League career, which could provide added motivation for Casadei to grasp his chance.
The remaining games of this season, with the Argentine international injured, could be an audition for the 6 foot 1 gem to prove that he has what it takes to be a key player for the club moving forward, starting with this clash against Villa.