Chelsea suffer blow after Levi Colwill is ruled out for most of the season

By SABC Sport
15th August 2025

Chelsea have suffered a big blow on the eve of the new Premier League season after Levi Colwill was ruled out for most of the campaign after surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament.

The 22-year-old defender was an ever-present in Chelsea's line-up last season, starting in 35 of their 38 league matches as the Blues finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.

Colwill was then integral part of head coach Enzo Maresca's team that captured the FIFA Club World Cup trophy last month after beating European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Ahead of Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Maresca said: "When we build, we build with Levi in the middle.

"Last year we played 64 games and we played all 64 games with either Levi or Tosin (Adarabioyo in the middle of the defence).

"Now Levi is out. The only other one that he can do that job well is Tosin. But we have Premier League, Champions League, with these kind of players.

"The rest, they can adapt. (Jorrel) Hato is a new one, he never played as the guy in the middle last season (with Ajax), so it's not about being a central defender.

"Yes,([he is a) central defender but can he do that? It's different. Also we have players that unfortunately, like Wes [Fofana] or Benoit (Badiashile), they have in this moment some (injury) problems.

"And this is the reason why I said that the club knows exactly what I think about central defenders."

Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah having been trialled in Colwill's role in wins over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan during a short two-week pre-season.