Sept 13 (Askume) – Chelsea are struggling to find a solution after manager Ben Chilwell was sold but failed to find a club, with the defender currently receiving first-team treatment as the transfer window closes and he could return.
England internationals Chilwell and Raheem Sterling were among the high-profile players dropped from the squad when the Italian manager was appointed before the start of the season .
While Sterling was loaned to Arsenal on deadline day , Chelsea were unable to sell Chilwell, who was signed for around £50 million ($65.62 million) in 2020 but has not yet played a game this season.
“Maybe he is the only one left here now. We will sit down with him and find a solution,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“He might come back and join us in training… he’s training alone because the idea is to keep him away.”
“But since he hasn’t found a solution, he can start training with us. Now, if we take this decision, he will be one of the players.”
Chilwell helped the London side win the Champions League but the 27-year-old left-back has struggled to hold down a regular place since suffering a knee ligament injury in late 2021.
Chilwell has fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of Marc Cucurella in 2022, while he has suffered hamstring and knee injuries over the past two seasons, resulting in him making just 13 league appearances last season.
Chelsea are currently 11th after gaining four points from their first three league games. Maresca said his young side are moving in the right direction but they need to find a balance between the “technical aspect and the physical aspect”.
“We used this international holiday to do something new which we can use in the future,” he said.
“Also, there is a lot of work to do defensively to create some balance. That doesn’t mean we don’t defend well… Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have physical players. But we do too.”
($1 = 0.7620 British pounds)
