Santos Poised to Shine: Chelsea's Rising Star Ready to Seize His Moment Against Leeds

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea face a potential "banana skin" fixture under the floodlights at Elland Road, coming off the back of demonstrating their championship ambitions with a determined and combative display against the league's table-toppers.

Moisés Caicedo's clear eagerness to shine on the grand stage ultimately proved his downfall, however, and his three-match ban following a red card offense against Mikel Merino leaves Chelsea with a significant gap to address in their midfield ranks.

Despite the Blues facing several fitness concerns in their central areas, Maresca does possess viable options.

Leeds United may have suffered four consecutive defeats but won't surrender easily against their traditional rivals on Wednesday evening, with Chelsea requiring three points to maintain their pursuit of the Gunners.

Here's how Maresca might deploy his visiting squad under the Yorkshire floodlights.

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

GK: Robert Sánchez—The Spanish goalkeeper delivered another solid performance at the weekend and is steadily establishing himself as a dependable presence in Chelsea's goal.

RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto is expected to retain his starting position on Wednesday. The French defender brings considerable dynamism along the right wing and will look to exploit Leeds through central overloads.

CB: Wesley Fofana—A run of consecutive starts is precisely what Fofana requires. He has been exceptional in recent outings.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—The center-back's intelligent glancing header gave Chelsea's reduced numbers the advantage against Arsenal. Though his contribution was quickly neutralized, Chalobah was instrumental in securing the Blues a positive outcome. He will maintain his starting berth.

LB: Marc Cucurella—The tenacious left-back won't face the threat of Lamine Yamal or Bukayo Saka this midweek, with Cucurella likely confronting an attacking wing-back instead.

CM: Andrey Santos—Maresca labeled the Brazilian as "prepared" to fill Caicedo's void. Santos has shown promise in limited opportunities this campaign.

CM: Enzo Fernández—The Chelsea manager hinted that prospect Josh Acheampong could feature in the central partnership, but it's more probable that Fernández will retreat from his advanced position. Reece James is doubtful to start following significant game time in the previous two fixtures.

RW: Pedro Neto—The tireless Portuguese wide player offers a valuable attacking threat, and Maresca will likely rest Estêvão after consecutive starting appearances.

AM: João Pedro—With Fernández operating in a deeper role and Cole Palmer expected to feature as a substitute, summer acquisition Pedro is set to operate as Chelsea's playmaker.

LW: Alejandro Garnacho—The Argentine marked his 100th Premier League outing at the weekend, and he should anticipate a hostile welcome at Elland Road due to his Manchester United connections.

ST: Liam Delap—Leeds may field a robust three-man defense on Wednesday, presenting Delap with a challenging assignment should he lead the line. Pedro might be the preferred choice, but the midfield absences could see the English forward get his opportunity.