Chelsea will be set up for most of their upcoming campaign without defender Levi Colwill, and Enzo Maresca believes the transfer market can offer a solution for the blues
Enzo Maresca demanded that Chelsea sign a new centre-back after a serious knee injury suffered by Levi Colwill, as two of the club’s current crops cannot be replaced by England International.
He said at a press conference ahead of the Premier League opening match vs. Crystal Palace this weekend. “Levi is fine. He knows he has to go out for a long time. That’s a huge loss for us. I know how important Levi is to us last season, because of the way we want to play.
“We have said many times that if we can build the right way, we can create opportunities in the right way and attack the right way. Levi is a big part of our construction and now he is out and trying to find another solution.
He added: “I think we need a central defender. We’re looking for an internal solution, but like I said, the club knows exactly what I think.”
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And Maresca highlighted his needs by claiming that no one else in the Chelsea squad could play like Colwill, besides Tosin Abarabioyo, could have played like Colwill, just as Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiasil did not leave the job as two players. He said: “When we build, we build Levi in the middle, unlike the player on the left.
“Last year, we played 64 games and 64 games with Levi and Tosin. Now Levi is out. Only Tosin can do that job well. But there’s the Premier League and the Champions League (we’ll compete this season).
“They can adapt. (Yorel) pigeons are new. He never played as the middle man (for Ajax) last season. So that’s not what it means to be a central defender. Yes, he’s a central defender.
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“Also, unfortunately, there are players like Wes and Benoît who have some issues at this moment, and this is why the club said they know exactly what I think about the central defender.”
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