Moises Caicedo has an unlikely source to thank for his latest World Cup appearance.
Ecuador’s opening World Cup fixture against Ivory Coast was set to feature a notable absentee with Caicedo initially ruled out of the Group E encounter in Philadelphia.
But the Chelsea midfielder owes a debt of gratitude to one of his Premier League predecessors for indirectly clearing a path to represent his country from the outset.
Moises Caicedo initially ruled out of World Cup
Caicedo had previously been due to miss La Tri’s encounter with their African counterparts after a sending off in their final World Cup qualifier against Argentina.
The 24-year-old was given his marching orders early in the second half at the Estadio Monumental as the hosts ran out 1-0 winners over the reigning world champions.
It meant Caicedo faced being consigned to the sidelines to serve an automatic one-match ban before a surprise intervention from none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.
The serial Ballon d’Or winner also risked missing the start of Portugal’s campaign after he was red carded for elbowing Dara O’Shea in their play-off with the Republic of Ireland.
However Ronaldo would potentially be ineligible for the Selecao’s entire group stage schedule based on FIFA’s recommended three-match suspension for violent conduct.
But world football’s governing body chose not to deprive their flagship tournament of the 41-year-old’s involvement and deferred his suspension to a one-year probationary period.
In line with Ronaldo’s waived sentence, FIFA confirmed Caicedo’s own ban and that of Nicolas Otamendi in the same game would not be carried over to the World Cup.
Caicedo arrives at this World Cup on the back of a tumultuous club season with Chelsea undergoing a high manager turnover and missing out on European football.
The £115 million enforcer was still rewarded for his exploits with a bumper new contract which ties his future to Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2033.
