Chelsea set for nightmare Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto scenario as Enzo Maresca dilemma clear

With eight matches to go until the halfway stage of the Premier League season, Chelsea have played all but three of the teams in the top 10 so far. They have also faced Manchester United, but they are in 13th after Erik ten Hag's atrocious start.

Sitting third - but only a point above ninth placed Aston Vila - it has been a largely positive start for Enzo Maresca. He has navigated a tricky run of games without disaster, although the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle and following draw at Old Trafford have tempered things slightly.

It leaves Chelsea with only Fulham, Villa, and Tottenham of the top half still to come before they have faced everyone once. With 11 played, only top of the league Liverpool have lost fewer times than Chelsea.

As the treachorous run of fixtures in late November and throughout December stares back at Chelsea, there isn't too much to be scared of. Starting at Leicester City on Saturday afternoon, they have to play four of the bottom six before the turn of the year.

The biggest two challenges come in the space of a fortnight now after the international break. Matches against last season's fourth and fifth best sides - Spurs and Villa - are either side of a visit to lowly Southampton, with fellow newly promoted Leicester first.

It is a run that promises to either leave Chelsea in a strong position to attack the festive period or try and recover during it. Get through the Villa and Tottenham matches, which are tougher on paper than the league suggets as both sit on the brink of entering the bottom half, and there is reason for real, not just cautious optimism.

It is with this in mind that Maresca will be watching the actions of Nicolas Jackson and Pedro a little closer than usual. They are walking a suspension tightrope and the prospect of losing one or both of them for either of the two biggest games left this calendar year is very real.

For Jackson, this is nothing new. He is used to being booked, so much so that it only took him six matches last season to hit the five-yellow card threshold, resulting in a one-game ban.

Under Maresca he has cut back slightly but is still facing the prospect of being made unavailable at a key point. For Neto, who has started just five league games, getting to four yellows has gone under the radar.

The pair have made their spots at left wing (more recently on the right as well for Neto) and at striker their own. They are in line to start against Leicester too, as Maresca looks to get back to winning ways after a run of three domestic matches in a row without victory since the 2-1 win over Newcastle.

In a strongest Chelsea XI they are in attack. Maresca will therefore be keen to have them on the field when it's Tottenham and Villa as opposition but also need to balance that with ensuring no slip up is made at the King Power Stadium first. If they get through Saturday with a pass to play Villa at Stamford Bridge then there are two sets of 90 minutes (one against Southampton) for them before Tottenham as well.

At the current rate it is a period in which they would be expected to pick up a booking. Just the threat of such a reality is an issue for Maresca.