Moises Caicedo fires clear Conor Gallagher Chelsea message amid imminent transfer decision

Moises Caicedo has described Chelsea teammate Conor Gallagher as being 'like a machine' as the pair now look to anchor the midfield in the absence of Enzo Fernandez. Having formed a strong partnership earlier in the season in a triumvirate, it is down to just two for the rest of the campaign.

Fernandez will play no further role in the fortunes of Mauricio Pochettino's teamafter having surgery on a groin issue that has been bothering him for months. The Argentine has previously missed games via injury this term but now leaves a depleted set of options for his coach.

Pochettino has often preferred to play with three midfielders in his 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system, mixing between selecting Fernandez and Gallagher in the most advanced spot. Even with an academy graduate, it is one of the most expensive trios in the world with Caicedo and Fernandez taking it in turns to break the British transfer record in the past 18 months.

Gallagher, though, has been not only the top performer on most occasions, outshining his partners, but also the most readily available. Of the 33 league matches played he has started 32, with the one missed being down to suspension. It isn't a surprise therefore that nobody in the squad has played more minutes in the league than Gallagher and only Axel Disasi has clocked over his 3,600 in all competitions as well.

Despite being up for sale in each of the past four transfer windows, Gallagher has consistently blocked out the noise surrounding his future to play an integral role for Pochettino. More often than not he has captained the side as well with Reece James and Ben Chilwell both out injured for large portions of the season.

Against Arsenal in the bruising 5-0 defeat last weekit was he that was left to address