Calum McFarlane believes Chelsea star's return will make difference vs Fulham
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Chelsea caretaker Calum McFarlane believes Moises Caicedo's return from suspension will give the team an edge in midfield in Wednesday's visit to Fulham.
The Blues managed to snatch away a point from Manchester City on Sunday through Enzo Fernandez's late equaliser.
It was a relatively positive result, especially considering their struggles in the first half.
Pep Guardiola's side overran Chelsea in midfield in the first period, and it looked like the hosts were going to coast to a win before McFarlane introduced Andrey Santos in the second half to add another body in the middle of the pitch.
McFarlane argued that Caicedo's suspension played a part in their first-half struggles, and the midfielder's return could make a difference for Chelsea against Fulham.
"I think it was obviously impacted by Moises being suspended," McFarlane admitted during Tuesday's press conference.
"Everyone knows how well Moises has played this year. Since he's come to the club, he's a top player, potentially the best player in the world in his position.
"I think he'll help us with that tomorrow.
"We definitely missed elements of his game in that first half. But like you said, Andrey (Santos) came on, was exceptional in the second half, really gave us a foothold to control the game both in and out of possession.
"So, I'm hoping Moises not being suspended, being available, we should be able to really control that midfield area."
There is no doubt that Caicedo, who averages 2.7 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, has proved important to Chelsea's midfield.
The Ecuador international's work rate also allows Chelsea's full-backs to make more forward runs, which are key to the team's system.
Unfortunately, Caicedo's return would likely come at the expense of Andrey Santos, who arguably deserves to be in the starting line-up for his strong display at the Etihad Stadium.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.