Chelsea star labelled 'a masterpiece' as Enzo Maresca already knows truth on Blues' undroppable

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit says that his old club now truly have a £100million midfielder with the squad finally seeing the best of Moises Caicedo.

The 23-year-old joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023 but struggled in his first season at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino's reign as manager. However, the midfielder has been in fine form since Enzo Maresca took over, catching the eye with his performances as the Blues have begun solidly in their chase for a place in the top four of the Premier League.

His importance to the team has been underlined by his 12 starts from 12 games, captaining the team against both Bournemouth and Arsenal. He's also chipped in with a goal and two assists, scoring in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United and setting up goals against West Ham and Liverpool.

READ MORE: Chelsea plotting 'sensational' £125m transfer raid as perfect Wesley Fofana partner emerges

READ MORE: Chelsea injury news and return dates as Enzo Maresca dealt four major blows before Heidenheim

Following the win over Leicester on Saturday, former Chelsea star Lebouef described Caicedo as "a masterpiece" at the moment, saying he is a completely different player to last season.

"We have to talk about Caicedo," Lebouef told ESPN. "That guy is a masterpiece right now. For 90 minutes [against Leicester], and it was the case last week and the week before.

"Since the beginning of the season, he's not the same guy. He's now the guy who's worth 100 million. And that makes a huge difference."

The Blues will be hoping to continue their assault at the top of the Premier League when they're back in action next Sunday at home to Aston Villa. Before that, though, they will be flying out to Germany to take on Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League.

Whether Caicedo plays any part in that game remains to be seen. The 23-year-old was on the bench for their opening game against Gent, but was not involved in the squad against Panathinaikos or FC Noah.

It's the start of a gruelling schedule for the Blues, and withholding some minutes for the midfielder could be exactly what the club need to ensure he's in prime condition for the festive schedule.