John Obi Mikel has named Moises Caicedo as the only Chelsea player who can get into the PSG starting XI. He believes that the midfielder would replace João Neves in the team, as Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz are essential.
While on talkSPORT, Mikel quizzed if there was a Chelsea player who could get into the PSG team ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final. He claimed that it was hard to pick as the Ligue 1 side was good, but ended up going with Caicedo.
He said:
"You're stitching me up here. That's a tough one... Probably just, just Caicedo I think might just get in there. But you need to find a way to fit Caicedo and Vitinha. You can't take Vitinha out of that team because for me, he's been absolutely brilliant."
When asked if Caicedo would replace Ruiz in the starting XI, he added:
"He's been on fire, he's scoring goals. Maybe João Neves, just maybe."
Caicedo is racing against time to recover for the FIFA Club World Cup final. The midfielder hurt his ankle in the final moments of the win over Fluminense and was substituted.
Enzo Maresca provided an update on him and said (via BBC):
"Yes, for sure Moises is such an important player for us. This morning, he couldn't take part in the training session fully but we hope he can take part on Sunday."
Chelsea will have a fully fit squad, but Noni Madueke will be missing as he flies back to England to complete a move to Arsenal.
John Obi Mikel backs Chelsea to beat PSG in FIFA Club World Cup final
Chelsea face PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, and John Obi Mikel is confident that his former side can do well. He believes that the Blues are the only side that can beat the UEFA Champions League winners.
He said on talkSPORT:
"If any team can beat this PSG side, I think it's Chelsea. The way we're playing, the team that we got — we've got also a very, very good young team as well that can compete. I think one thing that they actually use in terms of the way they play against teams is that they're very, very athletic. They have pace, power — that's something we have as well."
The Blues beat Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense in the knockout stages to make it to the final. PSG defeated Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid to seal their place in the final.