Chelsea receive major Club World Cup final injury boost as 23-year-old trains following fitness scare

Chelsea have been handed a potentially pivotal injury boost ahead of Sunday's Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, as Moises Caicedo was fit to train on Thursday.

The Ecuador international was slightly worse for wear at the end of the Blues' 2-0 victory over Fluminense in the semi-finals, having appeared to twist his ankle during the latter stages.

By that point, Chelsea had already used all of their five substitutes, so Enzo Maresca's men were forced to see out their success with 10 men after Caicedo walked gingerly off the pitch.

Maresca could not provide a definitive update on the South American's condition at full time, but the tight turnaround naturally made him a doubt for the final this Sunday.

However, Caicedo then delivered a positive injury hint on social media earlier on Thursday, suggesting that his injury was not severe and he would be fine to take part in the showpiece event.

Caicedo trains with Chelsea before PSG Club World Cup final

In a further fillip for Chelsea, Caicedo was able to take part in training on Thursday, and the signs are looking promising for the former Brighton & Hove Albion man ahead of Sunday's mouthwatering game.

Maresca is expected to be asked about Caicedo's condition during his pre-game press conference on Friday, where fans should get a definitive answer on whether the midfielder has a good chance of being involved.

However, the 23-year-old appears to be winning his battle to be fit for the Club World Cup final, where his presence will be of paramount importance against the likes of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz.

Caicedo has set up one goal in four games in the USA so far and came into the Club World Cup on the back of a stellar Premier League campaign for Chelsea, playing every game in the English top flight.

Which players will Chelsea be missing for Club World Cup final?

While it is good news on the Caicedo front, Chelsea could still be without five players for the meeting with the European champions, including the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk following his doping charge.

Wesley Fofana is also recuperating from a hamstring problem, while new signing Dario Essugo is nursing a muscular issue he suffered in training before the Fluminense victory.

Maresca also has another pair of doubts to assess, as Romeo Lavia (muscle) and Benoit Badiashile (unspecified) are on the touch-and-go list; the former's possible absence would be particularly problematic if Caicedo was to be ruled out also.

Away from injuries, it is unclear if Noni Madueke will be involved following claims that Chelsea have accepted a bid from Arsenal for the English attacker.

On PSG's side, Luis Enrique has no injuries to deal with, but defensive duo Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez are both suspended following their quarter-final red cards against Bayern Munich.

Written by
Ben Knapton