Chelsea set for enormous Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo Tottenham twist

By the time Chelsea kick-off against Tottenham on Thursday it will have been nearly three weeks since their defeat away to Arsenal. That is a long time in football but supporters won't have forgotten their feelings that day.

Chelsea hardly tested David Raya in north London and were left to struggle against a resolute Arsenal defence more than happy enough to watch the ball being recycled between Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella for most of the afternoon. They could also start the evening in seventh.

If that is the case then there will be immense pressure to beat Tottenham. From a perspective of bragging rights and perspectives, not only do Chelsea fans rarely forgive the coaches and teams which fail to do so, especially at home, but this is also crucial in the hunt to secure Champions League football next season.

Chelsea are trending downwards and have been for three months. Their position in the league looks fine but is built on increasingly unstable foundations. Form is poor, so are performances, and the host of clubs queuing up to try and steal a spot in Europe is increasing with Fulham the latest to enter the party.

It is only five points that separate Chelsea from Bournemouth in 10th, and Enzo Maresca knows his team have a seriously tricky run-in. Perhaps, then, the extra few days off after the international break will be a good thing.

Once this nine-game stretch starts it will come thick and fast with little relenting. There is the return of the Conference League to factor in as well. So after having seen senior players away on duty with their countries and another three playing age-group internationals, not being thrust straight back into the demands of Premier League football will come as a boost.

This is even more true when it is considered that those who remained at Cobham were beaten by an Under-21 team from the academy last week. The result left Maresca to cancel Thursday's day off.

Whilst Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer did not return to team training until Friday, so presumably did not feature in this match, the remaining group is still extremely strong on paper with Robert Sanchez, Malo Gusto, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christopher Nkunku, and Jadon Sancho all staying behind.

It is not clear who from that group was involved but six of them played a part in the loss to Arsenal. The good news for Maresca is that Nicolas Jackson, Palmer, and Madueke are all back in the mix and could play on Thursday. They will need to hit the ground running to help push Chelsea on.

The same is true for Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. They have been key pillars in the team for almost all of this season. Lavia's continued injury issues has left little room for rotation and Dewsbury-Hall has rarely been trusted with Premier League minutes.

The challenge for Maresca, and previously Mauricio Pochettino, over the past two years has been managing the pair after international breaks. Coming back from South America, both would often arrive in England much later than their teammates.

It was common for them only to train once before then being thrown back into action, usually extremely soon after a lengthy flight home. This issue has taken its toll in performances as well.

Caicedo is almost always tasked with doing the most legwork on the field and has looked tired in games immediately after international duty. Fernandez is very much in the same camp.

Together, they have kept Chelsea going in recent weeks even if it hasn't been enough to inspire attacking freedom or much goodwill from the fans. Caicedo is still the most energetic and active player, shielding the defence on his own and covering for Fernandez's off-the-ball shortcomings.

Fernandez, meanwhile, has been one of the few able to create chances. He is going through one of his best patches as a Chelsea player and will be needed in the final few months of the season.

Now that Lavia is back, at least from the bench, they should get a bit more rest in the upcoming weeks. However, that is not likely against Tottenham, where they will be selected from the start if fit.

When Thursday night comes around, Fernandez will have had a full week since his last game, a 4-1 win for Argentina in which he scored and assisted. Even accounting for the journey back and there are five full days rather than sometimes less than 36 hours.

Fernandez played 90 minutes in both of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers. Caicedo has been on the same timeframe and also wasn't afforded a rest.

Instead, Chelsea's midfield pivot will have more time at Cobham. Maresca will need to make the most of this scenario as it doesn't come round often and couldn't be at a better time this season.

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