Levi Colwill’s time with Chelsea before the season started was cut short by a disaster. The young defender will be out of action for an unknown amount of time after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during training on Monday, just days after coming back from the Club World Cup and England duty. Chelsea said that Colwill has already had successful surgery.
They added in a statement:
“Medical assessments confirmed surgery would be the required course of action. Levi will now begin his recovery and be supported by the club’s medical department at Cobham during his rehabilitation phase.”
The injury is a big blow for both the player and the club. Colwill played 38 times last season and was expected to be a key player for new manager Enzo Maresca. Instead, he might not play at all in the 2025–26 season.
Reports from inside the club say that the injury happened near the end of Chelsea’s first full training session. Initial fears were quickly confirmed by scans, which showed that the ligaments were damaged badly enough to need surgery right away.
In most cases, it takes six to twelve months for an ACL injury to heal completely, during which time the person can slowly return to full training and match fitness. People close to the club say that Colwill probably won’t be back until 2026, which means he won’t be able to play for the rest of the season.
The timing couldn’t be worse, since the Premier League starts on August 17. Chelsea starts their season against Crystal Palace, and Colwill’s absence makes it even more important to make sure the defence is solid before the game starts.
Could Chelsea React in the Transfer Window?
Enzo Maresca talked about the problem at a press conference and said that Colwill’s absence could have a big effect on Chelsea’s summer plans. The transfer window closes on September 1, so the Blues may have to go back to the market even though they just signed Ajax centre-back Jorrel Hato.
Maresca still has other centre-back choices, such as Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Josh Acheampong, who came up through the academy. But Fofana just came back from an injury, so Chelsea’s defence is now being looked at very closely.