The teams are in for the UFEA Conference League second leg against Servette, and we’re already able to start drawing some interesting conclusions from Enzo Maresca’s selection.
While it’s mostly a total second string selection, there are some first team names in there.
Last week, Moises Caicedo did the double shift, playing the Thursday night game in Europe and then the Sunday Premier League game from the start. This week it looks like it’s Enzo Fernandez’ turn to do the same, although the return of Romeo Lavia might mean Enzo gets a rest on Sunday.
But what’s really notable is Christopher Nkunku playing tonight. That’s his second game in this competition in a row, while his main competition for the number ten role (Cole Palmer and Joao Felix) are both being kept fresh for the more important game this weekend.
To us, this makes it pretty definitive that Nkunku is not in the first XI right now. If we were playing the Champions League final tomorrow, he’d be on the bench. Enzo Maresca may like him, but Palmer behind the striker with Pedro Neto on one side and Noni Madueke the other is surely what the coach would go for in a one-off match.
A long and winding road
Of course, the season is long and will be full of ups and downs, injuries and suspensions. Nothing is set in stone, players will come into and out of form, and there could even be changes in formation and setup from Maresca as time goes by.
With the number of attackers available to Maresca, plus the versatility that most of them have to play in various positions, we’re sure there’s going to be an endless series of variations seen through the course of the campaign.
But there’s simply no denying that at the moment, Palmer is being kept fresh for the Premier League, while Nkunku is playing a similar role in the second string.
