Enzo Maresca’s huge call sees surprise playmaker included and Nkunku left out | OneFootball

Chelsea’s team for today’s game against Leicester is very interesting.

The 12.30 kick off after an international break was bound to produce some twists and turns, but even then we didn’t expect anything on this scale.

From defence through midfield all the way to attack there are enforced changes, and perhaps the most notable name on the teamsheet is Joao Felix.

He’s not had a Premier League start yet this season, but after a goal and an impressive showing for Portugal against Croatia on Monday, he’s been given the nod here. It’s a huge vote of confidence from manager Enzo Maresca, who has gone for the playmaker ahead of Christopher Nkunku.

As for Pedro Neto, who he replaces, that’s a concern Maresca will have to address before the game. The winger was allowed to leave his national team after just one of the two games, leading most people to believe he would be extra fresh and ready for today’s game.

Instead, we can only assume he’s picked up a knock of some kind, as he doesn’t even appear on our bench today.

Christopher Nkunku scores for France

Felix given huge vote of confidence – but Nkunku bumped off

It’s a huge moment for Felix to show what he can do today. We’re not sure how the arrangement will work – will Noni Madueke play on the left? Will Felix? Will Cole Palmer? None of them seem natural to that side, and we will maybe just see a variety of interchanges as the game progresses. In any case, Nkunku will feel that this was his chance to finally get another league start, and rumours about his potential departure will only intensify now.

But if the Blues walk away with 3 points and Felix plays well, none of that will matter much to Enzo Maresca, who has really had to earn his money today.