Maresca’s most likely centre back pair to face Nottingham Forest with multiple Blues returning | OneFootball

The international break is usually a disaster for teams in Chelsea’s position. The bulk of their first team goes off to play for their national teams and comes back at best tired, and at worst injured.

Maresca’s most likely central defender picks against Nottingham Forest

Chelsea and Nottingham Forest players brawl. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

This has been a different break to usual, however. A lot of Blues weren’t called up or pulled out early, and others only featured in the first of two games for their country. This should be the rare occasion where we come into our game after the break stronger than we did the one preceding it.

A key reason for that is the return of many of our defenders. Tosin Adarabioyo is going to be back from a calf injury, Wesley Fofana will have had his break after a concussion picked up against Lincoln City, and Trevoh Chalobah will have served his suspension for a red picked up against Brighton.

The question is who Enzo Maresca actually ends up picking at the back. Benoit Badiashile did well in the games since the others went out. Going by the stats, our top rated defenders of the season are Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah.

Yet we suspect Maresca will go in a totally different direction and pick Badiashile and Fofana. Both have had horrific injury problems since they signed for the club, with Fofana suffering a small number of very serious problems and Badiashile a very large number of smaller problems.

But they’re possibly our best pair when they’re both fit, and as far as we know, they will be to face Nottingham Forest.

In other news…

Chelsea are back in action on Saturday in the early kick off, and for once it’s not one we’re dreading after an international break.

Meanwhile, the chat during the international break has been all about comparing Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, and Sky have done a really good piece on just that.