Joao Felix was replaced on the Chelsea bench against Manchester City after failing to prove his fitness.
The Atletico Madrid loanee was a major doubt ahead of the game as he carried a minor injury.
And it was a surprise to see Frank Lampard name the striker on the bench, giving fans hope he might be fit enough to play a role.
But that didn’t prove the case as he dropped out of the matchday squad due to lack of fitness.
This led to young goalkeeper Ethan Wady being called up to replace the Portugal international.
Felix joined Chelsea in January on loan from Atletico Madrid and has scored three times in the Premier League.
It remains to be seen whether the 23-year-old will stick around beyond this campaign as there are rumors he could stay for another year on loan.
Manchester United and Newcastle have also been linked with the striker, with a permanent move from Atletico not ruled out.
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Meanwhile, Wady impressed the academy side and spent the first half of the season on loan at Woking.
Chelsea’s season is almost over after a horror campaign that left them languishing in mid-table.
City, on the other hand, were crowned champions on Saturday after Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest.
They could go on to make it a treble year with the FA Cup and Champions League in sight.
Chelsea welcomed City to a guard of honor as they entered the pitch on Sunday, fulfilling Frank Lampard’s promise.
While Pep Guardiola has made nine changes to his side, with key players such as Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne taking the bench.
This has allowed fringe players like Sergio Gomez and Kalvin Phillips to enjoy a rare Premier League start.
Others will follow.
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