Enzo Maresca to avoid nightmare Chelsea Conference League scenario amid Premier League problem

Chelsea had to be mindful of Moises Caicedo on Sunday afternoon in the win against Leicester City, with the midfielder a booking away from a two-match ban in the Premier League.

With Arsenal and Tottenham on the horizon in the top-flight, many supporters were left concerned that one mistake from the Ecuadorian midfielder would see him suspended for two crucial games. Fortunately for Enzo Maresca and the Blues, Caicedo came away from the match with no booking to his name and he will be available to take on Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

In the Conference League, meanwhile, Chelsea have no possible suspension risks for the next round. As per UEFA rules: "As from the first match in the league phase, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, that did not result in a red card, as well as after any subsequent odd-numbered caution [fifth, seventh, ninth, etc.]."

The rules add: "In addition, all yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals."

Ahead of their Conference League round of 16 second-leg tie against Copenhagen on Thursday evening, Chelsea have four players on one yellow card in Enzo Fernandez, Benoit Badiashile, Filip Jorgensen and Renato Veiga, who is on loan at Juventus until the end of the season. Meanwhile, there are a couple of players in Axel Disasi and Cesare Casadei on two cautions but they both moved on loan in the mid-season transfer window.

The Blues edged the first-leg of the tie in Denmark last week with second-half goals from Reece James and Fernandez giving the west Londoners the advantage. However, Gabriel Pereira made Chelsea pay for some lazy defending late on and gave the Danes a route back into the tie ahead of this week's second-leg at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will be hoping to have James, the scorer of their first goal in the Danish capital, available again after the captain missed Sunday afternoon's win over Leicester. football.london understands James was struggling with a fever in the hours leading up to the game and Chelsea took a precaution in not naming the skipper in the squad.

Wesley Fofana returned to the line-up on Sunday for the first time in over three months, with the Frenchman playing 73 minutes. However, Fofana was not named in the Conference League squad for the knockout phases as the club continue to be cautious with the defender's game time given his torrid fortune with injuries in recent seasons.

The same can be said about Romeo Lavia, who returned to the squad but was an unused substitute in the win over the Foxes. The Belgium international has also not been named on the Conference League list as Chelsea look to keep him fit for the remainder of their Premier League campaign.