Chelsea star midfielder Moises Caicedo has admitted he is dealing with some fitness “problems” while on international duty with Ecuador.

Caicedo, along with fellow Blue Kendry Paez, is part of the latest Ecuador squad ahead of their two home friendlies against Costa Rica (November 14) and Bolivia (November 17).

For Caicedo, this is his first Ecuador camp since the World Cup, having previously been left out due to a calf injury. Consequently, it will be his first experience under new manager Marcelo Gallardo, who was appointed in September.

It is, therefore, easy to see why the 25-year-old is very eager to be with the national team. After all, he is the captain of the team, having officially inherited the role from Enner Valencia back in June.

That said, while many Chelsea fans can appreciate Caicedo’s desire to represent his country, his admission about his fitness condition may raise some concern.

“I’m a bit tired, with a few problems here and there, but I’m here because this is my national team and what matters most to me is being here; with my people, with my Ecuador,” Caicedo told the media (via Futbol Ecuador) a day after he arrived at the camp.

“I’ve worked really hard to be here, and I’m happy about that.”

The midfielder further insisted that the fitness issues did not bother him, adding: “I’m fine (physically). What matters most is being here, with my national team and my people.”

After overcoming his injury and another setback earlier this season, Caicedo has not missed a single game for Chelsea since his first start of the season against Bournemouth in October. He has since played six games for the Blues across all competitions, all of which were as a starter.

However, it is worth noting that in the week leading up to the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland last week, Caicedo missed a few training sessions with Chelsea due to fitness problems.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso described it as “little problems” and admitted that Caicedo felt some “discomfort” after the home win over Manchester United the previous weekend.

It is unclear whether Caicedo was referring to the same issues in the recent interview, but he played a full 90 minutes against Sunderland and looked relatively fine despite the injury doubt.

Obviously, from Chelsea’s perspective, it would be ideal if Caicedo played a minimal role in Ecuador’s next two friendly fixtures. On the other hand, it is unfair to overlook how important he is to his national team, especially under a new head coach.

The Blues will be back in action in a home Premier League fixture against Leeds United on November 21, and Alonso will certainly be hopeful that Chelsea's 12 internationals, including Caicedo, will return unscathed from their national team duties.