Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister has named a player who was very nearly his team-mate as his toughest-ever midfield opponent.

The true consequences of Chelsea's gruelling 2025 are beginning to emerge, as it has revealed that multiple first-team stars are playing through pain after a physically challenging few months which included the Blues winning the Club World Cup in difficult weather conditions in the US. Enzo Maresca's side were barely given enough time for a pre-season as a result and several injury issues have followed. Further first-team stars have had to push through the pain and continue to play.

Moises Caicedo made his feelings known on comparisons to legendary Chelsea defensive midfielders N'Golo Kante and Claude Makelele after scoring an outrageous goal against Liverpool. His tenacious tackling and ability to dictate the game have drawn inevitable comparisons to two of Chelsea's greatest-ever. But Caicedo is having none of it.

Chelsea are holding their breath after key midfielder Enzo Fernandez withdrew from international duty with a knee problem. Fernandez joined up with the Argentina squad earlier this week having played the full 90 in Saturday's 2-1 win over Liverpool. The Blues star, who played 78 minutes of Argentina's 1-0 win over Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday morning, has since returned to London.

Moises Caicedo has undergone a major change in recent months, parting ways with the agent who oversaw his club record £115 million transfer to Chelsea in 2023 and instead joining forces with a sports lawyer to look after his affairs. But a statement published on social media implying that trust issues were a problem in his previous arrangement had to be removed.