Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has provided insight into how he plans to use Moises Caicedo, and it’s clear he sees the Ecuadorian international as central to his tactical.

Speaking to Daily Mail journalist Keiran Gill, Maresca was asked whether he views Caicedo as a No.6 or a No.8, and the Italian didn’t hesitate to outline his vision. “I can answer the ones who are here. The ones who are not here, we’ll see. I see Moises as a six in the way he has been playing since we started,” Maresca revealed.

Caicedo has been deployed in a more complex role at times, often shifting between defensive and full-back duties depending on whether Chelsea have the ball. Maresca elaborated: “In the last games, he’s played as a full back off the ball and then on the ball, it’s a six, holding midfielder.”

This hybrid role isn’t new in modern football, particularly under managers like Pep Guardiola, but it’s a notable shift from how Caicedo was used last season. Under Maresca, he’ll be expected to help Chelsea control possession and dictate tempo from deep.

Maresca also touched on how he is trying to develop Enzo Fernandez into a more attacking threat in midfield. “For Enzo, I think we are trying with him since day one to get more goals and assists. He’s improved. I still think he can do better. I still think in the way we play, he is a player who can score 10 and 15 goals each season.”

This clear distinction between Caicedo’s role as a deep-lying midfielder and Enzo’s as an advanced playmaker offers Chelsea fans a glimpse into Maresca’s planned midfield dynamics.

Meanwhile, another midfielder, Romeo Lavia, is also in line for a deeper role similar to Caicedo’s. “Romeo is a six, like Moises,” Maresca confirmed, hinting at a tactical setup that could see rotation or competition between the two young midfielders.

Maresca concluded by emphasising the importance of keeping key players fit if Chelsea are to challenge consistently this season: “With all the players fit, Romeo, Reece (James), Wesley (Fofana), (Nicolas) Jackson, the team is better. Unfortunately, some of them have been injured for a long time. But hopefully we can keep them now fit until the very end.”