By Grok Sports Desk | September 22, 2025
LINCOLN, England — Enzo Maresca’s pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s EFL Cup third-round clash with Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium turned into a sobering reality check on Monday afternoon, as the Italian head coach revealed a mounting injury crisis that could force a “makeshift” lineup against the League One Imps. Just days after the Blues’ chaotic 2-1 Premier League loss to Manchester United – where Robert Sánchez’s early red card and Cole Palmer’s 20th-minute groin tweak sparked a record-breaking triple substitution – Maresca dropped the “disturbing” news that two more key squad members, Reece James and Roméo Lavia, face extended absences, joining an already depleted roster hit by hamstring and knee issues. “It’s tough – more players out than I’d like,” Maresca admitted, his tone laced with frustration. “We need to manage this carefully, but tomorrow’s not about risks; it’s about progression.” With Chelsea gunning for a third consecutive EFL Cup quarter-final under the Boehly-Clearlake regime, the update has heightened fears of an upset against Michael Skubala’s high-flying Imps, who sit third in League One on 14 points from six games.
Maresca’s revelation came during a 45-minute briefing at Chelsea’s Cobham base, streamed live on the club’s app and attended by a smattering of regional press. The 45-year-old, fresh off a Club World Cup triumph in July and a gritty 3-1 Champions League opener loss to Bayern Munich, laid bare the toll of a grueling schedule: international breaks, domestic doubles, and now cup commitments. Palmer’s grade-two groin strain – confirmed Sunday as a 4-6 week absence after scans – was the headline, but Maresca escalated the alarm with updates on James and Lavia. “Reece [James] felt tightness in training today – same hamstring that’s plagued him,” the coach said. “He’s out for the Lincoln game, potentially two weeks; we’ll reassess post-internationals.” James, the 25-year-old captain who’s missed 32 games since 2023 due to recurrent injuries, started the United defeat but limped through 78 minutes, his overlapping runs covering 10.9km before a late substitution for Axel Disasi.
Worse for Chelsea’s midfield engine room, Lavia’s knee niggle – picked up in the 82nd-minute scramble during Bayern’s Serge Gnabry clincher – has worsened. “Roméo’s scan showed minor ligament damage; he’s three to four weeks out,” Maresca confirmed, dashing hopes of a quick return for the 21-year-old Belgian, a £58m Brighton signing who’s featured in just 12 minutes this season. This piles onto Malo Gusto’s 6-8 week hamstring tear from the Allianz Arena and Liam Delap’s three-week hamstring absence from pre-Bayern warm-ups. “It’s disturbing how it’s stacking up,” Maresca added. “Our depth is tested – we’ve got quality, but fatigue from the Club World Cup and internationals is biting. Tomorrow? Rotation is key, but no complacency against Lincoln.”
The Imps, buoyed by a 3-0 weekend win over Stevenage and an FA Cup run to the quarters last term, represent a banana skin. Skubala’s side, with 16 goals in six league games, boast pacey wingers like Jovon Makama and a rock-solid defense led by Paudie O’Connor. Chelsea’s predicted XI – per Sports Mole – leans on youth: Filip Jørgensen in goal, a back four of Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah (post-own-goal redemption), and Marc Cucurella, with Andrey Santos partnering Enzo Fernández in midfield and Joao Pedro spearheading a front three alongside Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke. Maresca teased Academy involvement: “It’s likely some U21s make the squad – Josh Acheampong or Tyrique George could feature. Everyone must be at their best; Lincoln won’t roll over.” The Italian, drawing on his Leicester promotion-winning nous, emphasized mentality: “We’ve won Conference and Club World Cup – this is about hunger, not names.”
Fan reaction has been a mix of defiance and dread. On X, #CFCInjuryCurse trended with 42,000 posts, @BlueArmyLad venting: “Palmer, James, Lavia, Gusto, Delap – Maresca’s got a hospital XI! Lincoln up for the shock?” (25,000 likes). @CFCFamily rallied: “Disturbing? Nah, chance for the kids – smash the Imps like we did Grimsby!” Reddit’s r/chelseafc thread, “Maresca’s Squad Nightmare: Who’s Left for Lincoln?”, hit 7,500 upvotes, with u/StamfordSavage warning: “Third round exit? Boehly’s £1.2bn can’t buy luck – rotate smart.” Pundits echoed concerns: Gary Neville on Sky called it “Chelsea’s Achilles’ heel,” predicting a “scrappy” win but urging caution, while Jamie Carragher on CBS quipped: “Maresca’s rotation roulette – hope it doesn’t backfire like United’s chaos.”
Context amplifies the stakes. Chelsea’s 2025-26 campaign – post-Conference League and Club World Cup glory – has stuttered: seventh in the Prem with seven points from four, a UCL loss to Bayern, and the United defeat where Sánchez’s red sparked three subs in 20 minutes. Maresca’s high-pressing 4-2-3-1 demands fitness, but with internationals returning fatigued (Fernández from Argentina’s altitude World Cup qualifier, Pedro from Brazil’s Bolivia thriller at 13,412 feet), recovery is paramount. “Altitude games hit hard – Enzo and Joao need monitoring,” Maresca noted, referencing Fernández’s Bolivia exertions. Off-field, the “bomb squad” saga simmers: Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi train separately, with Maresca dismissing sympathy – “My dad’s fishing life is harder” – amid PFA talks and FIFA’s “abusive conduct” rules.
For Lincoln, a sellout 10,000 crowd awaits, with Skubala – a Maresca admirer from his City days – plotting counters. “Enzo’s a genius, but we’ll exploit the gaps,” the Imps boss said. Chelsea’s hierarchy, led by Boehly and Clearlake, views the cup as a “development avenue,” but an early exit risks amplifying pressure on Maresca’s 26% win rate in Europe so far.
As kickoff nears Tuesday at 7:45 PM BST, Maresca’s update underscores football’s fragility: one tweak, one lunge, and squads shatter. With Palmer’s ice-cool penalties absent and James’ leadership AWOL, the Blues must summon grit. Will Cobham’s kids conquer the Imps, or will Lincoln script a giant-killing? In the EFL Cup’s magic cauldron, Chelsea’s “disturbing” reality demands a response – win ugly, or face the storm.
