Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro trained for Chelsea-Benfica clash | OneFootball

Chelsea take on Benfica today at Stamford Bridge with the Blues battling injury setbacks on several fronts.

The West Londoners are without important players like Cole Palmer, Dario Essugo, Levi Colwill, and Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Blues are depleted after completing a gruelling 2025/26 campaign, during which the club played over 60 games.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had fans even more worried after disclosing that Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, and Joao Pedro had ‘small problems’ ahead of the Benfica clash.

Thankfully, Caicedo and Pedro were pictured in training yesterday after the press conference. Both may be ready to help the Blues overcome the Portuguese giants.

Caicedo, who has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, would have been a massive miss for the Blues.

The Ecuadorian is a crucial cog in the centre of the park, and Maresca will hope to have him fit and ready for this clash.

Meanwhile, Pedro is dealing with an issue after getting worn out leading the line for Chelsea in the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Brazilian was knackered against his former club after running for two when the Blues went down to 10 men for the second week in a row.

The Europa Conference League winners will hope Santos can be ready for the Benfica game.

They need numbers in the middle, with Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez clearly struggling, having played too many games.

Despite a poor showing versus Brighton, Santos can provide solidity in the centre of the park, allowing one of the two to rest.

The return of Romeo Lavia is also a blessing for Chelsea’s midfield.

The Club World Cup champions must be eager to bounce back from the opening day Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, and Benfica are there for the taking.

Nevertheless, the Blues should be wary of Jose Mourinho’s side. They have won two and drawn one under the former Chelsea boss and could prove a tough nut to crack.