Chelsea have suffered a major setback ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Palmeiras, with star midfielder Moises Caicedo ruled out due to suspension.
The Ecuadorian international received a yellow card for dissent during Chelsea’s dramatic 4-1 win over Benfica in the last 16—a result that came after a nearly two-hour delay caused by severe weather in Charlotte. The game didn’t restart until 2am UK time due to lightning warnings, but fans were rewarded with an action-packed encounter.
Despite the suspension, Caicedo was named Man of the Match, having played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s midfield dominance. His shot led to Christopher Nkunku’s goal and he later assisted Pedro Neto for Chelsea’s third. However, Caicedo’s accumulation of two yellow cards now triggers an automatic one-match ban, sidelining him for the high-stakes meeting with Palmeiras.
Head coach Enzo Maresca will need to adjust his midfield setup. In the win over Benfica, Caicedo partnered Romeo Lavia in a double pivot while Enzo Fernandez operated just ahead of them. Without Caicedo, Maresca could opt to drop Fernandez deeper and promote Nkunku into the attacking midfield role, or shift Cole Palmer centrally and bring in a wide option like Noni Madueke or Tyrique George.
Alternatively, the Blues could look for a like-for-like replacement from the bench. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Dario Essugo, and Andrey Santos are all viable candidates for the midfield role. Even Reece James could be deployed as a wildcard option in the middle.
The quarter-final against Palmeiras will be held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, kicking off at 9pm ET on July 4 (2am UK time on July 5). Chelsea will be hoping to overcome the absence of Caicedo and continue their pursuit of the Club World Cup title.