Chelsea’s early season has exposed a need for greater midfield stability, but the club are not in a “squad depth crisis” and Enzo Maresca is no longer part of the current setup. Maresca left Chelsea after last season and is now Manchester City’s head coach, while Xabi Alonso leads Chelsea.
Chelsea enter the international break after a 5-1 home win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Moisés Caicedo made his first start of the season following a calf problem and formed an effective midfield partnership with Jordan Henderson, who scored twice. Cole Palmer and João Pedro also featured after returning from injury.
The article’s claim that Chelsea’s midfield includes Willian is incorrect. Willian is not part of Chelsea’s current squad. Chelsea’s recognised central midfield options include Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Henderson, Valentín Barco and, when fit, club captain Reece James.
Reece James is the main new concern. He was expected to feature against Bournemouth after recovering from a hamstring injury, but suffered a knee problem in training on Friday and was left out of the matchday squad. Alonso said the issue would be assessed week by week, with a potential return against Tottenham on October 24.
James has not been “sidelined” by a lack of defined role. He is Chelsea’s captain and, when fit, remains an important option in midfield or defence. His immediate absence is injury-related, not a disciplinary or tactical exclusion.
Chelsea’s disciplinary record is a genuine concern, but the claim that they finished bottom-two in the fair-play table for the past three campaigns is inaccurate. Chelsea were sixth in 2022-23, first in 2023-24 and second-bottom in 2024-25.
The claim that Spurs are pursuing João Palhinha is outdated. Palhinha was at Tottenham on loan last season, but he has since left the club. Tottenham’s current manager is Roberto De Zerbi, not the manager described in the article, and Spurs have already lost Palhinha, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Kevin Danso and Luka Vušković from the squad.
The claim that Cristian Romero is “set to leave this summer” is also outdated. Romero has already left Tottenham, with reporting from July confirming that Spurs had offered him to Chelsea.
Chelsea’s real issue is not an oversized squad but continuity in midfield. Caicedo’s return strengthens the side, Henderson provides experience, and Lavia and Barco offer alternatives, but James’s knee injury removes a versatile option and leaves Alonso with fewer experienced choices for the trip to Everton.
