Enzo Maresca is going to have to shuffle his pack when Chelsea return to Premier League action after the international break. The Italian will be missing Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana for the game at Liverpool through suspension.
The duo both received yellow cards in last Sunday's draw at home to Nottingham Forest and will now serve a one-match ban as a result of picking up five cautions before the halfway stage of the season. The fact that they have been booked in five of Chelsea's first seven league games is quite remarkable and something the duo will have to work on once they are available for selection again.
After a torrid time through injury since joining Chelsea it is great to see Fofana back in the starting XI and building a strong partnership with Levi Colwill. However, someone else will be playing alongside the England international at Anfield on Sunday, October 20.
football.london runs you through the three players fighting it out to start on Merseyside once the latest international break has come to a close.
Tosin Adarabioyo
Maresca's team selections so far this season seem to suggest that Tosin Adarabioyo will get the nod to partner Colwill in the game at Liverpool. Signed from Fulham in the summer, the 27-year-old has so far made seven appearances for the Blues, with four of those coming from the start of games.
One of those appearances came in the recent 3-0 win at West Ham as Tosin partnered Colwill at the back on a day when Fofana had to move across to right-back with Malo Gusto absent. Tosin has also come off the bench twice in Premier League games for Chelsea, including on Sunday against Nottingham Forest, which hints at his place in the pecking order ahead of both Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi.
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Benoit Badiashile
Badiashile is probably next in line after Tosin when it comes to the centre-back order at Chelsea. The Frenchman has yet to make a Premier League appearance for the Blues this term, with his four appearances coming in the Carabao Cup and Europa Conference League.
All four of those outings were from the off and it looks like the youngster is going to have to settle for minutes in cup competitions this term. Badiashile has been absent from the Chelsea squad in the last two Premier League games, with Tosin, Disasi and Renato Veiga the defensive cover for Maresca.
His omission is probably be due to the fact that Disasi does give the Italian options as he can also play as a right-back.
Axel Disasi
Even though Disasi has been included in the Premier League squad recently when Badiashile has missed out, you would still say his fellow Frenchman is ahead of him in the pecking order when it comes to centre-back. The 26-year-old has only made one appearance at the heart of defence this season and he has had five outings as a right-back.
It maybe isn't his strongest position but Disasi is still a decent option down the right flank if Gusto or Reece James are absent. Previously a regular in the Chelsea team, the ex-Monaco man looks like he is going to have to bide his time when it comes to playing in the Premier League under Maresca.
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