Chelsea will need to pull off a major upset in the final if they want to win the 2025 Club World Cup.
The Blues have surprised plenty of people this summer to reach the final of the Club World Cup, beating Fluminense, Palmeiras and Benfica during the knockout rounds.
However, Enzo Maresca’s side are now preparing to face a dominant Paris Saint-Germain side for the trophy on Sunday.
The Opta Supercomputer said Chelsea were sixth favourites to win the Club World Cup before the tournament actually started. As for the other finalists PSG, they were the favourites from the very start as Luis Enrique’s side look to wrap up a stunning 2024/25 season.
John Obi Mikel identifies Moises Caicedo importance vs Paris Saint-Germain
According to John Obi Mikel, Chelsea have a “little chance” of beating PSG in the final if Moises Caicedo, 23, is starting for them.
During DAZN‘s coverage of Real Madrid against PSG in the Club World Cup semi-finals (9 July), Mikel said: “We (Chelsea) have a great midfield now. Fernandez, Caicedo, and of course Cole Palmer who plays as a No.10. It’s going to be incredible to see the match up [against PSG]…
“I think one major thing is going to be the fitness of Caicedo. We saw him towards the latter stages of the game roll over his ankle. We are going to have to see what his fitness levels will be because he’s very crucial for us. He’s absolutely fantastic for us. If he plays, I think it’s how do we control that midfield. If we can be able to match that midfield, for me, maybe we have a little chance.”
Potential Moises Caicedo injury update
It was a huge concern for every Blues fan when they saw Caicedo limping and unable to finish the semi-final victory against Palmeiras on Tuesday.
While we wait for official confirmation from Maresca about the midfielder’s fitness and availability, there may be reason to be worried after fresh footage emerged. Caicedo was captured on video heavily limping after Chelsea’s squad got off the team bus after the semis.
It can’t be understated how important the Ecuador international is to the Blues, especially ahead of a cup final against PSG’s epic midfield trio of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves.
Levi Colwill insists Caicedo will become one of the world’s best midfielders. Well, the South American star can prove he’s already there with a monster performance against PSG, but that could be taken away from the defensive midfielder because of an injury problem.
Chelsea alternatives if Moises Caicedo is unavailable
If Caicedo misses out on Sunday’s cup final, Chelsea’s task will become even harder without their midfield general. It would be a huge loss to miss an expert in breaking up play and covering ground against PSG.
In fairness, the Blues could still field a pretty exciting midfield pivot of Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.
Romeo Lavia is another talented deep-lying midfielder who could be useful in trying to cope with PSG’s relentless press, but his fitness is also unknown after missing the quarter-finals and semi-finals through injury.
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