Philadelphia, USA – Chelsea dey prepare for big match against Brazilian giants, Palmeiras, as dem ready to fight for quarter-final position for Club World Cup. Coach Enzo Maresca don drop some gist about the squad, especially on how dem go manage players wey get small problems, like Romeo Lavia.
Lavia, wey don show say him fit for all the four matches wey Chelsea don play for USA, don waka enter small muscle wahala after dem beat Benfica. Coach Maresca talk say him go decide whether Lavia go fit play before di match don start. He yarn, ‘E just be small muscle problem. Tomorrow we go see if he fit or not. If he no fit, we go find another way because Moi dey suspended too.’ (E be like say na wah when your star players dey start to sabi injury.)
Another player wey fans don dey craze to see na Joao Pedro, wey just join Chelsea. Di Brazilian forward don chop him vacation finish and dey come back to join di team. Maresca explain say Joao Pedro dey try adapt to di squad after him holiday – wey no be small tin o! ‘We dey very happy with how Joao don work with di team for di last two days. If we need am tomorrow, we go fit give am some minutes,’ he talk.
When dem beat Benfica, Coach Maresca make some changes for di team shape, allowing Cole Palmer play from di left side instead of di middle position wey e dey always play. Maresca, wey sabi wetin him dey talk, believe say di change no go affect Palmer too much. ‘Cole fit play left or right. Last season, he don fit do am for both sides,’ e explain.
As di match against Benfica don draw closer, Chelsea don finally settle di strongest starting 11 wey dem fit manage. Dem go start with Robert Sanchez for goal, Reece James for right back, and di ever-reliable Marc Cucurella for left back. Dem don put Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile together for center back – na dem two go hold di fort! In midfield, we go see Lavia, Caicedo, and Fernandez mix work with Palmer and Pedro Neto as wingers ahead of dem. With Nicolas Jackson still dey feel di effects of red card suspension, Liam Delap go take di striker position.
But no be small match dis o! Chelsea don dey target dem eyes to move on to di semi-finals if dem fit beat Palmeiras. Winning dis match go mean dem dey closer to di trophy dem don dey chase since di tournament start. Fans dey ready to cheer di team from di stands, hoping say dem go bring di trophy home.
As Maresca go plan di squad to face Palmeiras, e go need to navigate some players wey dey on di yellow card tightrope. Caicedo don collect yellow card wey go keep am outside for one match. Palmer, Delap, and Neto need to watch their step if dem wan play di next game, in case dem no fit escape suspension too. E be like say Chelsea dey need some strong decisions as dem dey waka towards di true test of di tournament.
Nicolas Jackson dey back and dat one na better news for Chelsea, since he fit help balance di team well, especially as dem dey move towards di knockout stages. Fans dey pray say Chelsea go fit show di world wetin dem sabi, as dem get everything to play for!
