Maresca Hints at Defensive Reinforcement After Colwill Injury as Chelsea Beat Leverkusen
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has suggested the club could return to the transfer market in search of defensive reinforcements following the devastating injury to Levi Colwill.
The 22-year-old centre-back, a key figure in Maresca’s first season in charge, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the opening day of pre-season training and is expected to miss the majority of the upcoming campaign.
Colwill’s absence leaves Chelsea short of options at the heart of defence, despite the £37 million arrival of 19-year-old Jorrel Hato from Ajax and the imminent return of Wesley Fofana after a lengthy injury layoff.
Speaking to Channel 5 after Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in Friday’s VisitMalta Weekender clash, Maresca admitted that replacing Colwill was high on his list of priorities.
“It’s a priority for me, yes, because Levi is a fantastic player,” Maresca said. “What we achieved last season is because of him also. I love him, I’m going to miss him. We are trying also to find different solutions.”
When pressed on whether Chelsea would sign another centre-back before the transfer window closes, the Italian kept his cards close to his chest:
“We’ll see, we’ll see.”
Estevão Scores on Dream Debut
While Colwill’s injury was a blow, the match itself brought positives for Chelsea fans. Brazilian teenager Estevão marked his debut in style, pouncing on a rebound in the first half to score his first goal for the club.
His compatriot João Pedro sealed the victory late on, latching onto a low cut-back and firing into the bottom corner to cap an impressive performance.
“I’m very happy with the performance especially as we have trained just three or four days together,” Maresca said. “We don’t have time for pre-season. We have another game on Sunday.”
Squad Rotation Will Be Key
With Chelsea facing a condensed pre-season and a packed campaign ahead, Maresca warned his squad that rotation will be a reality.
“Not all of the players are going to be happy always. If they don’t play, they’re not happy. But they have to understand that they are all good – 22, 23, 24 players – and they have to understand that there will be many rotations.”
When asked about Estevão’s performance, Maresca was full of praise but reminded fans that patience will be key:
“He’s very, very young. For sure, as I said yesterday, he is going to help the team. He’s a fantastic player.”
Chelsea will be back at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face AC Milan in their second and final game of the VisitMalta Weekender tournament, with fans hoping to see more of Estevão — and perhaps further hints of the club’s defensive plans before the transfer window closes.
