Chelsea and Enzo Maresca need to find a way to replace Levi Colwill, who could miss the majority of the 2025/26 season.
Last week, Maresca confirmed that Colwill had sustained an injury but was hopeful that the defender would not be out for too long.
However, since the Chelsea manager‘s press conference, Colwill has undergone surgery and is now expected to be out of action for an extended period of time.
It is an ACL injury that Colwill has picked up, which is terrible news for Maresca, who relied heavily on the 22-year-old last term.
Chelsea sporting director Laurence Stewart at Carabao Cup tie
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Chelsea considering signing a centre-back on loan
With the transfer window still open, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have the option of bringing in another centre-half, which they seem to be thinking about.
Journalist Simon Phillips has revealed on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that he has heard from a top source that there is a “potential loan opportunity being looked into”.
If the club do not go through with that and are also against the idea of buying a new centre-back, then Maresca will have to put his trust in the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah.
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has spoken about Colwill’s injury and wants to see Maresca utilise Adarabioyo and Chalobah.
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Summer signing Jorrel Hato is also another option for the Italian, with the 19-year-old able to play on the left side of central defence, where Colwill has been operating.
Levi Colwill of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Chelsea FC
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Which centre-back could Chelsea sign on loan to replace Levi Colwill?
After showing interest in him in the past, Phillips thinks ex-Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte could be the man Chelsea are thinking about, though the journalist has not heard anything new about him.
Laporte is 31 now and is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, representing Al-Nassr, who signed Joao Felix from Chelsea last month.
In 2023, Laporte was linked with a move to Chelsea, but nothing materialised in the end.