The Times: Enzo’s Departure Is Not Chelsea’s Biggest Problem; Caicedo Is the Midfielder They Truly Cannot Do Without

According to The Times, Chelsea’s 1-2 defeat to Arsenal once again exposed the team’s lack of midfield control. Compared with the departed Enzo Fernandez, the player Xabi Alonso truly misses most at this stage is actually the injured Moises Caicedo.

Arsenal’s winning goal came after a huge gap appeared in Chelsea’s midfield defense. Odegaard was left unmarked near the edge of the box, with no player able to close him down in time, and he eventually delivered the decisive strike. At that moment, Alonso had converted Reece James into a midfielder alongside Lavia, but neither player was able to fill the space quickly enough.

In the 60th minute, Alonso replaced Lavia with Gusto. As a result, Chelsea effectively had two players converted from full-backs operating in midfield during the second half. By comparison, Arsenal still had experienced midfield options such as Bruno Guimaraes, Zubimendi and Merino on the bench, highlighting the clear difference in squad depth between the two teams.

Alonso was unwilling to use injuries as an excuse after the match. He said: “After a defeat, it is easy to talk about the players who were unavailable, but I don’t want to do that. I am happy with the players we have. Every coach has to deal with injuries and suspensions, and it is impossible to have a full squad for every match. However, these absent players are top players, and with them we would definitely be stronger.”

It is easy for outsiders to attribute the issue to Chelsea failing to sign a replacement after Enzo Fernandez’s departure. However, the report points out that even if Enzo were still at the club, he might not have solved Chelsea’s biggest defensive problem at present.

What Chelsea truly lack is a defensive midfielder like Caicedo, who can cover large areas of the pitch, make tackles, recover possession and quickly fill defensive gaps.

Alonso’s current tactical approach is itself willing to take certain risks. He does not want his team to sit deep for long periods, instead demanding active pressing, a high defensive line and an attempt to control matches. This style naturally leaves space behind the team, and Caicedo is exactly the player in the squad best suited to clean up those problems.

Chelsea currently do not have a true like-for-like replacement in the squad.

The 36-year-old Jordan Henderson is out with an arm injury, and even when fit, he is unlikely to cover large areas in the same way as Caicedo. Dario Essugo, who joined from Sporting CP last summer, was originally viewed as Caicedo’s backup, but he has not yet reached the required level and has been loaned to Strasbourg. The 21-year-old Barco is a completely different type of midfielder.

Caicedo’s specific injury situation has not been announced. In the final pre-season match against Real Sociedad, he played 76 minutes before missing the Premier League opener. Against Brighton, he came on as a substitute but was replaced again after only 14 minutes. Alonso said: “I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”

This also shows Chelsea’s cautious approach in managing Caicedo. Since 2023, he has actually missed relatively few Chelsea matches through injury, but physical issues have increased noticeably in 2026. He missed time during the international break in October last year, and Maresca also mentioned knee problems in December.

The Times believes Chelsea’s open, high-tempo style of play is also partly related to Alonso having only recently taken charge of the team. The players’ positioning without the ball is still not fully developed, and defensive hesitation often occurs, while at the highest level even brief moments of uncertainty can create major gaps.

Alonso also admitted: “We have to do better, and we have to learn from these games because this is the highest level. Against top opponents, we have to be more efficient and more accurate in every phase of the match. But this is the stage we are in now; this is only the third game of our new cycle.”

By comparison, Arsenal are already very mature without the ball. Their defensive positioning, pressing and covering movements have almost become instinctive, which is one of the biggest differences between the two teams at present.

Therefore, the report believes Chelsea will naturally need time to adapt to Alonso’s new system, but in the short term, Caicedo is the player most capable of covering up these adaptation issues. As long as he is unavailable, Chelsea’s midfield defensive weaknesses will be difficult to fully solve.