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Chelsea have been dealt a blow ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final after influential midfielder Moises Caicedo appeared to pick up an injury. The Ecuador international was forced off with an injury in the closing stages of his side's semi-final win over Fluminense.
Caicedo made his fourth appearance of the tournament at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, having been suspended for the quarterfinal win over Palmeiras. The 23-year-old had a coming together with Jhon Arias in added time and appeared to over-extend his calf, leaving him writhing in pain on the turf. He walked gingerly off the pitch before re-emerging seconds later, only to go down in apparent agony shortly afterwards.
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Chelsea had to finish the game with ten players as they had made use of all their allotted substitutes before Caicedo's injury. They held on to the win, keeping a clean sheet in spite of Caicedo walking off the pitch, unable to continue.
Enzo Maresca's side is heavily dependent on club-record signing Caicedo, who was voted as the club's Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. The tough-tackling former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder played his 49th game of the season for the Blues, making six recoveries and winning six ground duels.
Maresca had 21-year-old Brazilian Andrey Santos feature in Caicedo's position in the last round against Palmeiras and the youngster will be an option for the final. The coach will hope, however, that Caicedo is able to feature against one of Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Sunday.
Joao Pedro sends Chelsea into CWC final
Chelsea forward Joao Pedro has sent the club into the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Fluminense. The Blues will now face one of European heavyweights Real Madrid and PSG for the title on Sunday July 13th.
Making his full debut after an impressive cameo against Palmeiras, Pedro was picked to lead the line against his boyhood club. The 23-year-old opened his Chelsea account with a fine strike from outside the box in the 18th minute, curling a shot beyond the despairing dive of 44-year-old Fabio.
Joao Pedro completed his brace in the 56th minute with a fierce effort from inside the box after Enzo Fernandez released him following a fast break. His strike flew into the net via the crossbar, beating Fabio in the Fluminense goal. The Blues became the first side to defeat Fluminense in the tournament, with Pedro earning the Man of the Match award.
