Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca certainly knows the importance of Moises Caicedo.

Maresca has picked the Ecuadorian midfielder in the starting line-up for 50 of his 51 Premier League matches at Chelsea.

Now, though, after a red card in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, Caicedo will miss three matches - at Leeds on Wednesday, and against Bournemouth and Everton.

Speaking on Tuesday, Maresca gave Caicedo the same billing as star attacker Cole Palmer.

"We are a better team with Cole, we are a better team with Moi," said Maresca.

Caicedo has been a key player for the Blues so far this season, and only a late return from South America prevented him from starting their 2-0 victory against Burnley after the November international break.

Asked by BBC Sport about still winning while resting his midfield lynchpin, Maresca said: "I won't do it any more. This is the last time!"

He may have been joking, but there is perhaps some truth behind his words.

Caicedo won both the club's players' player and fans' player of the season awards in 2024-25, and is regarded by his manager as one of the two best defensive midfielders in the world, alongside Manchester City's Rodri.

Statistics from football data provider Opta back up that judgement.

Chelsea's primary alternative for Caicedo is Andrey Santos, who filled in - and impressed - in the win against Burnley on 22 November.

"Andrey is ready," Maresca told BBC Sport. "His position is playing as a six, like Moi's position. He's ready."

Maresca has also used Santos in more advanced roles. The 21-year-old is highly regarded by the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge, having excelled on loan at partner club Strasbourg.

Santos, who has four caps for Brazil, moved to Stamford Bridge from Vasco da Gama for £11m nearly three years ago, before loan spells back at Vasco, at Nottingham Forest, then at Strasbourg.

The French side are expected to become a familiar pathway to first-team football at Chelsea in future seasons, with the club planning to send teenagers to Ligue 1 for 12-24 months to prepare them for the Premier League.

Santos believes the partnership can be a fruitful one.

"I'm so happy to have been the first one," he told BBC Sport. "This season there are a lot of quality players in Strasbourg, like Mamadou Sarr, Mike Penders and Emanuel Emegha.

"It's so important for us, for both clubs."

Should Maresca need to look elsewhere, he does have options.

Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who played the full 90 minutes in all three of Chelsea's matches last week, is capable of playing deeper but lacks the physicality and tackling ability of Caicedo or Santos and can therefore be overrun.

Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia are both injured, with the latter out for three games after suffering a setback in training.

Chelsea could move defenders into midfield, with Reece James the primary option should they do that. The Chelsea captain lined up alongside Caicedo against Arsenal and won man of the match with a sensational display. Maresca, though, says the England international is likely to be rested for the match against Leeds.

Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong are also capable of filling midfield roles.

Caicedo's absence may have given Maresca a dilemma, but it will mean the 24-year-old gets what may come as a welcome rest before the busy festive period.

Before the Arsenal match, Caicedo told the Daily Mail, external he was managing a knee problem.

"I feel pain sometimes," he said. "But I'm not going to stop until I break. I never give up. I get used to playing like this."

BBC Sport understands Caicedo has told close friends and family he feels exhausted by his playing schedule. Global players' union FifPro has named him as one of the footballers suffering from an "unequal workload".

Asked whether resting Caicedo, who played two full matches for Ecuador last month, was a silver lining to his ban, Maresca said: "It's the positive part, yes.

"He's playing almost every game... also with the international team.

"Probably this break will give him a little bit more rest. Next Tuesday we have a Champions League game, so he's going to be available for Atalanta. But it's a chance for him also to recover energy and deal with the problem in his knee."