Chelsea have been dealt an early setback in their preseason preparations after defender Levi Colwill picked up a knock during the first training session of the week.
The Blues, who ended the 2024/25 season on a high with a top-four Premier League finish, UEFA Conference League triumph, and Club World Cup victory, face a tight schedule ahead of the new campaign.
With only two preseason friendlies lined up against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan this weekend, any absence could have a notable impact.
Colwill’s injury occurred late in Monday’s session at Cobham, prompting concern within the camp. Head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed the development during his pre-match press conference, though he stopped short of offering a timeline for recovery.
We had a problem the last two days about Levi Colwill. We don’t know how long he will be out for. Hopefully not too long. It’s a problem. We need to wait. We don’t know yet,” Maresca said. “It was the first session on Monday, in the last minutes of the session. He felt something.
While the extent of the issue remains unclear, the timing is far from ideal and could potentially push Chelsea into the market for further reinforcements. Maresca emphasised Colwill’s importance to the team.
We need to wait. Then we’ll see. In our way, we know how important he has been. I spoke with him yesterday, if we achieved what we achieved, it is because of him.
There was more encouraging news regarding Wesley Fofana, who has returned to full training after a long spell on the sidelines. However, the French defender is not expected to feature in this weekend’s fixtures.
Wes is back. He’s training. I don’t think he’s ready for minutes in the next two games, but he can be available for the Crystal Palace game.
Maresca, who is managing his first preseason in charge of Chelsea, also provided updates on the broader squad, including expected departures. Several players continue to train while awaiting final decisions on their futures.
The situation is quite clear. They are training. I guess they are waiting for solutions. When they leave, the club texts or calls me. I don’t pay attention to the ones that are training and need to leave. I just focus on how we prepare the session and win games.
The Italian manager is also keen to rotate minutes among the new signings, including Jorrel Hato, who arrived early in the window.
We are going to try to share minutes with all of them. Some of them, Hato, they start very early, so we will try to share minutes. We’ll see if we try different tactical things for the season.
Estevão, the club’s new Brazilian starlet, is also expected to be managed carefully given his age and profile.
He can play everywhere. He is so good. He’s like Cole in terms of position. He can play everywhere. With him, we need to pay more attention. He’s very, very young. Not under pressure. Give him happiness, give him time. Hopefully we can give him minutes so he is more happy. He’s a talented player.
With the transfer window still open, Maresca also touched on the future of striker Nicolas Jackson amid interest from other clubs.
Nico is okay. When the window is open, anything can happen. This involves Nico’s situation. At the moment, the two strikers have arrived. So we will see.
