Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, is grappling with tough choices as they prepare for their significant Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras on Saturday.
Key midfielder Romeo Lavia was noticeably absent from training, raising concerns about his availability for the match.
If Lavia cannot participate, it would be a major setback for Chelsea, who are already missing Moises Caicedo due to a suspension from accumulating two yellow cards during the tournament.
Maresca will need to devise a new midfield strategy in Lavia’s potential absence when facing Palmeiras.
The Italian coach could opt for Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo to fill the midfield void for Chelsea.
This match presents an opportunity for Santos to make his debut as a starter, while Essugo could step in as a defensive midfielder in place of Caicedo.
Alternatively, Maresca might prefer the more cautious approach of starting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who scored as a substitute in the previous match.
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