Chelsea have been handed a huge new selection blow ahead of their trip to Manchester City with Moises Caicedo set to serve another suspension.
The Blues’ key midfielder only returned from a three-match domestic ban in the Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Cardiff earlier this month, having missed games against Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton as the result of a red card picked up following a VAR review of a dangerous challenge on Mikel Merino during the first half of the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Caicedo returned at third-tier Cardiff and also started in the top-flight against Newcastle, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, but picked up a caution against the latter at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes for a foul on Cherries left-back Adrien Truffert.
That was the Ecuador international’s fifth yellow card of the season in the Premier League and will incur an automatic one-match ban, to be served on Sunday as Chelsea travel to face title-contending City at the Etihad Stadium in their first match of 2026.
The threshold for a yellow-card suspension in the Premier League increases to 10 after the 19th matchday, so the Bournemouth game was the last in which Caicedo could be booked to serve a ban for five.
The 24-year-old has now picked up five cards in his last six outings across all competitions for Chelsea dating back to that red against Arsenal, also booked against Cardiff, Newcastle and Aston Villa.
He received his first caution of the campaign against Fulham back in August and was also yellow-carded in two games - league and cup - against Wolves, plus in the Champions League meeting with Qarabag.
Caicedo was sent off for two bookable offences in a World Cup qualifier against Argentina in September and has also been shown yellow for Ecuador this season in back-to-back friendlies against Canada and New Zealand, taking his total tally of cards in 25 appearances for club and country this season to two reds and 10 yellows.
Caicedo’s latest suspension will only increase concerns over Chelsea’s dire disciplinary record over the past couple of seasons, which manager Enzo Maresca has repeatedly insisted does not concern him.
The Blues were without Marc Cucurella against Bournemouth due to a knock suffered in the 2-1 home defeat by Villa on Saturday evening, while captain Reece James was only on the bench as Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong started in the full-back positions.
Asked about Cucurella and James ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with the Cherries, Maresca told Sky Sports: “Reece is fine, the only thing is just again, try to manage him.
“Cucu, he had a small issue against Aston Villa in the last game, but he is okay overall.
“Hopefully, he can be available for the next game. We just try to prepare for the game in the best way we can and try to win.”
Wesley Fofana also replaced Benoit Badiashile for Chelsea against Bournemouth, while further forward Estevao Willian and Liam Delap were preferred to Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro.
Jorrel Hato, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are also sidelined at present, along with long-term absentee Levi Colwill.
