Blues icon José Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge tonight as Chelsea face Benfica in the Champions League, and the ‘special one’ will surely notice how vulnerable his former side appear defensively. ..Continue Reading
Trevoh Chalobah was dismissed for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in Chelsea’s previous match, a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton, where Fabian Hurzeler’s team capitalized on the numerical advantage and earned a deserved win in London.
Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, which is expected to sideline him for most of 2025/2026, has clearly weakened Chelsea’s defensive setup, and Maresca is currently short on options with Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana also unavailable.
Chelsea have not won a Premier League match since this time last month and have allowed 11 goals in their last five games across all competitions, with BlueCo arguably suffering from the decision not to bring in a centre-back over the summer.
Although Chelsea were among the league’s top spenders, their focus was on strengthening the attack, leaving no room to reinforce Maresca’s defence.
Chelsea attempted to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth before the Spaniard completed a £50 million transfer to Real Madrid, and Maresca made it clear late in the window that defensive reinforcements were needed.
“The club know exactly what I think,” Maresca said after Colwill’s injury.
“I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think.”
Since then, reports have suggested Chelsea may return to the market for a defender in January, with journalist Pete O’Rourke providing an update.
According to the reporter, in a piece for Football Insider, Chelsea and Maresca are aligned on the need to sign a centre-back.
Both the club and coach agree that adding one is now a “priority” for January, with Chelsea reportedly working on options ahead of the winter window.
It’s crucial that Chelsea support Maresca and secure another elite defensive option. The injuries to Tosin and Fofana have compounded his challenges, especially as Chelsea prepare to face league leaders Liverpool this weekend with a depleted backline.
Benoit Badiashile’s return comes at a vital moment, but Chalobah will be unavailable for the Stamford Bridge showdown against Arne Slot’s team.
Fortunately for Chelsea, the Cobham graduate will only miss one domestic match and is expected to return after the international break for the clash with Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s recruitment department must accelerate efforts to identify the right candidate for January, with Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez and Benfica’s Antonio Silva (Simon Phillips) among BlueCo’s reported targets.
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