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Mauricio Pochettino has given an explanation into the reason Moises Caicedo was missing from Chelsea’s squad for their Premier League clash against Wolves on Sunday.

The Ecuadorian, who played in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win against Newcastle United on Tuesday was expected to partner Conor Gallagher in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield for the Christmas Eve clash, after it was confirmed that Enzo Fernandez would not be playing due to a hernia issue.

Caicedo missed out, as Lesley Ugochukwu, Malo Gusto, and Armando Broja were all given a start by Pochettino, as Chelsea looked to get a third consecutive win. It was however, another poor outing for the Blues, who were beaten 2-1 at the Molineux.

When asked the reason for Caicedo’s absence ahead of kick off, Pochettino told reporters: “Moises Caicedo has a high fever so he is not involved today.”

The Chelsea gaffer later added: “We have the possibility to play with Armando and Nicolas Jackson together today and also Malo Gusto comes in as a more offensive full-back, with Axel Disasi moving inside.

“We try to find the best solutions when we lose players and we are looking for the right combinations today, while still keeping a good balance.”