Moises Caicedo has revealed that he felt tired when he was substituted by Chelsea on his return from injury and insists he needs to “be careful” to avoid any more setbacks.
The Ecuador midfielder was instrumental in Chelsea’s thumping 5-1 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. It was only Caicedo’s second appearance of the season and his first since a calf injury which forced him off shortly after he had come on as a substitute in August’s 4-3 win over former club Brighton.
Caicedo's return to the starting line-up
Caicedo impressed against Bournemouth on his return to the team before being replaced by Romeo Lavia after 72 minutes. Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso said he regretted his role in rushing Caicedo back to play in that game before he was fully ready.
“It feels so good to be back with the team and there is no better way to come back than with a win,” Caicedo said in an interview with Chelsea TV. “It was a tough moment, to be honest. I couldn’t be with the team, but now finally I am back. I just want to be with the team in every moment, so I’m so happy to come back.”
Caicedo's fitness concerns
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder added: “I felt a little bit tired after a long time without playing, to be honest. I need to be careful, but I feel good. I enjoy being with the team, with the fans, with everybody. Now we want to keep working, keep pushing, because we need to be up there [towards the top of the table].”
Victory over Bournemouth left Chelsea sixth in the Premier League and level on points with fourth-place Brentford after their first six matches of the campaign.
