Enzo Maresca just two Chelsea games away from nightmare Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson scenario

Enzo Maresca could be dealt a nightmare Chelsea scenario for their upcoming Premier League games against the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham. The Blues have some challenging fixtures on the horizon - amid aims to remain in the race for Champions League football, though Maresca has once again insisted that's not the target.

"I already said that the club never mentioned to me about top four," he said recently. "Since I met the club for the first time, they always mentioned to me that the target was to build something important for the next four or five years. For sure, we work every day to reach something important and we are going to do our best.

"If you go game by game, you can also see yourself, and where you are at that moment, and I think this can help a lot, because if you start to think about top four or top six, then you are already thinking about May or June and for me, that's too far and it's the same for the players.

"We are where we are. We are going to continue to try and improve things and then in the end, we will see."

Nonetheless, picking points over the coming weeks will be crucial with Chelsea facing several teams around them including Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Villa. However, as he was forced to do for the recent clash against Liverpool, Maresca may have to navigate those games without some key players.

Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella both missed the 2-1 defeat at Anfield through suspension, having picked up five yellow cards in the first seven games of the Premier League season.

In terms of further suspension worries, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto are all on three yellow cards and therefore just two more cautions will result in a ban. Regardless of what happens, all three will be available to face United this weekend and Arsenal next Sunday, although that may not be the case going forward.

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After the November international break, it's a return to the King Power Stadium for Maresca as Chelsea take on Leicester City. The Blues then welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge before back-to-back away games against Southampton and Tottenham, respectively.

Maresca will undoubtedly be hoping the trio can avoid bookings over the coming weeks, or at the very least that all three don't miss the same game through suspension, as it would leave Chelsea light in attack.