Chelsea midfielder Facundo Buonanotte will be absent from the squad for this weekend’s Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge, despite his impressive midweek performance.
Chelsea Denied Buonanotte for Brighton Match Due to Loan Clause
The omission is due to Premier League regulations prohibiting loaned players from facing their parent clubs.
The Argentine midfielder, who joined Chelsea on a season-long loan from Brighton, scored his first goal for the club in Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup comeback victory over Lincoln City.
His well-taken strike in the 50th minute proved to be the winner, prompting praise from manager Enzo Maresca, who said, “Yeah, Buonanotte was very good”.
The suspension is a direct result of Premier League loan rules, which state that “during the period of the temporary transfer… a player shall not play against the transferor club”.
This rule is standard in the Premier League and the FA Cup but interestingly does not apply to the Carabao Cup, where Buonanotte was free to play.
This rule means that until his loan spell concludes, Buonanotte will be ineligible for any match Chelsea plays against Brighton in the league.
Buonanotte’s enforced absence presents a challenge for manager Enzo Maresca, particularly with fellow attacker Cole Palmer also managing fitness issues.
The situation could open the door for Alejandro Garnacho to make his first Premier League start of the season.
The Chelsea boss will be demanding a significant improvement from his team after expressing frustration with their first-half display against Lincoln, a performance he described as a struggle for desire and experience.
While Brighton fans will see familiar faces like Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella, they will not see Buonanotte on the pitch this Saturday as Premier League rules take precedence.
