(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 26, 2018 Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas applauds the fans following the English League Cup third round football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England. - Cesc Fabregas has completed his move from Chelsea to French Ligue 1 club Monaco, according to a source close to the deal on January 11, 2019. The Spain international has signed a three-and-a-half-season deal with the Principality club. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 26, 2018 Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas applauds the fans following the English League Cup third round football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England. - Cesc Fabregas has completed his move from Chelsea to French Ligue 1 club Monaco, according to a source close to the deal on January 11, 2019. The Spain international has signed a three-and-a-half-season deal with the Principality club. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 26, 2018 Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas applauds the fans following the English League Cup third round football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England. – Cesc Fabregas has completed his move from Chelsea to French Ligue 1 club Monaco, according to a source close to the deal on January 11, 2019. The Spain international has signed a three-and-a-half-season deal with the Principality club. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) /
Maurizio Sarri admitted the departure of Cesc Fabregas has left a gaping hole in his squad magnified by Jorginho’s below-par performance in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Sarri said the 31-year-old Spanish World Cup-winning midfielder, who left for Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco last Friday, would have been a natural replacement for Jorginho.
The Italian international — a lynchpin of Sarri’s midfield this season — lost possession on several occasions against Newcastle.
“After 20 minutes he lost a lot of balls. It’s unusual and I think he was in trouble,” said Sarri.
“Maybe he was tired, I don’t know. But if Fabregas was on the bench I think that in the second half he would have been on the pitch instead of Jorginho.”
Sarri is keen to recruit an experienced midfielder as back-up to Jorginho, who has displaced N’Golo Kante from the pivotal central role, but also praised the potential of 18-year-old Welsh international Ethan Ampadu.
