Chelsea Face Palmeiras Without Star Midfielder Caicedo: Who Steps Up for the Blues?

Chelsea Face Palmeiras Without Star Midfielder Caicedo: Who Steps Up for the Blues?

Chelsea face Brazilian club Palmeiras as they seek to progress and represent the Premier League in the Club World Cup semifinals.

Following a group stage loss to Flamengo alongside two convincing wins over LAFC and ES Tunis, Chelsea secured second place in their group but found themselves on the more advantageous side of the knockout phase draw. Having eliminated Benfica in the round of 16, no other European teams remain in Chelsea's route to the final.

Nevertheless, Palmeiras in the quarterfinals present a challenge that the Blues cannot underestimate, particularly given their recent defeat to another Brazilian team, Flamengo. El Verdão has demonstrated impressive consistency throughout the tournament and will pose a formidable challenge.

Despite this, Chelsea remain the bookmakers' choice and failing to reach the semifinals would be viewed as a significant disappointment.

Enzo Maresca faces the challenge of managing without the suspended Moisés Caicedo, potentially his most crucial player. Benoît Badiashille will also be absent due to injury. On the positive side, Nicolas Jackson returns to availability and must deliver a commanding display with Liam Delap competing for his position in the squad.

João Pedro finalized his transfer and received registration in time, opening the possibility for his Chelsea debut, although he's expected to begin as a substitute.

Here's the potential Blues formation against Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Palmeiras (4-2-3-1)

GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spanish goalkeeper remains unreliable in his distribution, yet delivered an impressive display between the posts versus Benfica.

RB: Reece James—Maresca has exercised considerable care with Chelsea's skipper throughout the season, but in such a crucial match, James' abilities are indispensable.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—The ex-Fulham defender has proven dependable throughout the competition and should return to the starting eleven following Badiashille's injury setback. He earned man of the match honors against ES Tunis.

CB: Levi Colwill—The academy product recorded seven ball recoveries versus Benfica with 96% passing accuracy. He'll aim for another solid display in the quarterfinals.

LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella will face the challenge of marking future Chelsea winger Estêvão Willian. It represents a difficult assignment, but the Spanish defender possesses sufficient skill to manage the task.

CM: Roméo Lavia—The Belgian midfielder will attempt to fill Caicedo's role, functioning as the Blues' defensive midfield pivot.

CM: Enzo Fernández—Fernández will operate in a deeper position than he has throughout the tournament, likely engaging frequently with Richard Rios in a South American midfield duel.

RW: Pedro Neto—Neto's three Club World Cup goals match his total for Chelsea across all competitions since early 2025.

AM: Cole Palmer—Palmer produced his finest tournament performance against Benfica, recording his first goal contribution of the competition. He'll seek to surpass that showing and lead Chelsea into the semifinals.

LW: Noni Madueke—Despite speculation about a potential transfer during the window, Madueke will feature on the left flank where he's primarily operated since the Premier League's final stretch.

ST: Nicolas Jackson—Jackson may start following his two-game suspension, replacing Liam Delap who risks his own suspension. It's crucial the Senegalese forward performs strongly given the increased competition for the starting position heading into 2025–26.