Chelsea have opted against emergency plan following the news about Levi Colwills anterior cruciate ligament injury , and are instead fully committed to the players they already have in their team to navigate the challenge ahead.
Softfootball understood that Colwill returned to pre-season training on Monday with the rest of his Chelsea teammates following their success at the Club World Cup. However, Maresca explained earlier on Thursday that Colwill had felt something in training and that the issue was a problem for the club.
Unfortunately for Maresca , his worst fears have now been confirmed because Chelsea have released a statement to confirm the extent of Colwills injury.
T he 22-year-old centre -back had successful surgery, and the recovery time for this type of injury is usually at least six or seven months, which means Colwill won't be able to play for most of the season. Without him, Chelsea's defence on the left side is missing a lot, as he had become a trusted player under manager Enzo Maresca .
While Colwill may be out for an extended period, Fabrizio Romano reported via his X handle that Chelsea have no immediate plans to sign a replacement. The update claims that there is full trust in the players at Marescas disposal, especially as they recently strengthened their backline with the addition of Jorrel Hato . The tweet reads:
Chelsea decision not to go after a quick fix could also be in line with its overall strategy. They have focused on youth and building a long-term squad instead of making short-term signings under co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. Colwill's absence is a blow, but it could be a very important test of that vision.