Enzo Maresca has urged Chelsea to sign a new defender after Levi Colwill’s long-term injury.
The England international suffered an ACL tear and is set to miss most of the 2025-26 season.
Despite the Blues having plenty of players on the books, the head coach has publicly declared that he would like a new face through the door to cover for his missing centre-back.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Maresca said: “We know how important Levi was for us last season and for the way we want to play.
“We are able to create chances in attack if we can build in the right way and Levi was a huge part of that. Now he is out and we will try to find a different solution.
“We are trying to find a solution internally, but the club know exactly what I think – we need a central defender – but we are looking internally.”
“When we build, we build with Levi in the middle. Last year, we played 64 games and we played 64 games with Levi and Tosin [Adarabioyo]. Now Levi is out, the only one who can do that job well is Tosin.
“We have the Premier League and Champions League. These kind of players, the rest can adapt. We have [Jorrel] Hato but he never played as the guy in the middle last season. It is not about central defenders. Yes he is a central defender, but what does he have to do? Can he do that? It is different.
“We also have Benoit [Badishille] and Wes [Fofana] who have problems, and this is why the club know exactly what I think about central defenders.”
Chelsea kick-off their campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday, as they look to build on their Club World Cup triumph this summer.
