The Spanish international had been an ever-present for the Blues in the league, but was substituted early during our defeat to Aston Villa last week.

Speaking before our contest against the Cherries, and having made five changes to the line-up from Villa, Maresca is hopeful the full-back will make a swift recovery in the New Year.

He said: ‘Cucu had a small issue in the last game [against Aston Villa], but he is okay, we hope. Hopefully, he can be available for the next game. We just try to prepare in the best way we can.’

As we prepare for our final match of 2025, Enzo believes that the Blues have enjoyed a productive year.

Maresca added: ‘I think for me, 2025 has been good in terms of trophies and in terms of getting Champions League football. Now, hopefully, we can finish 2025 in a good way and continue in that way in 2026.’