When Enzo Maresca sat in front of the press last week Thursday ahead of the season opener to speak on Levi Colwill’s anterior cruciate ligament injury, his frustration was clear. According to him, “The club know exactly what I think. The one in the middle in my way is so, so, so important”.
For a manager whose entire system pivots on building out from the back with composure and precision, losing Colwill, the England international who started 35 of Chelsea’s 38 league matches last season, is a tactical earthquake for the Club World Cup Champions.
Tosin Adarabioyo, the other defender trusted with the same role, is also sidelined with a knock for Chelsea’s opening game of the season against Crystal Palace.
Just two injuries; a long term for Colwill and minor knock for Tosin, suddenly, Chelsea’s defensive structure looks fragile. And with the board reportedly reluctant to bring in reinforcements per Fabrizio Romano, Maresca must solve this internally.
So what does the data say about Colwill compared with other defenders at Chelsea? And which centre-back pairing could carry Chelsea through the rest of the season?
Colwill Impact At Chelsea Last Season
Colwill’s value to Chelsea is not just as a defender but as the initiator, an anchor to Chelsea’s build up. Maresca’s tactical blueprint, influenced by Pep Guardiola and sharpened at Leicester, depends on the LCB or sometimes CCB acting almost like a deep-lying playmaker.
“When we build, we build with Levi in the middle,” Maresca explained. The numbers reinforce his importance. In the Premier League last season, Colwill led Chelsea defenders for:
Progressive passes: 98
Passes under pressure: 817
Line-breaking passes: 350
Chances created: 14
(Source: Squawka)
Those figures align with Maresca’s statement on how Colwill was Chelsea’s most reliable distributor from deep, absorbing pressure and advancing possession.
His calmness was forged during a loan under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton, where he learned positional bravery and vertical progression. Internally, Chelsea staff view him as a leader not just a passer reason why they refused to sell him immediately as David Ornstein of The Athletic reported.
The Statistical Landscape: Is He Irreplaceable?
In football just as in life, anyone is replaceable with equal output or much more better. But at Chelsea, on raw volume, Colwill tops the charts but, when analyzed:
1. Adarabioyo and Acheampong edge Colwill with 24 passes under pressure per game (vs Colwill’s 23).
2. Badiashile outperforms him in line-breaking passes per game(13.8 vs Colwill’s 10).
3. Fofana creates slightly more chances per 90 minutes (0.46 vs Colwill’s 0.40).
(Source: Sofascore and Squawka)
The takeaway? Chelsea do have internal options capable of replicating Colwill’s output although a school of thought may argue that the facts do not reflect true reality because Colwill played more games. Another issue may less be about raw numbers but, more about intangible traits like composure, leadership, and experience under Maresca’s tactics.
Badiashile, for instance, can progress the ball efficiently, but Maresca pointed to the UEFA Europa Conference League final, where playing him centrally led to Chelsea trailing 1-0 at half-time before Colwill’s introduction flipped the game into a 4-1 win.
Similarly, Fofana’s disastrous 45 minutes against Bournemouth in Colwill’s role last year showed the tactical risk of miscasting players.
Colwill isn’t just a start leader; he is the system’s pivot.
What can Maresca do?
At Leicester City, Maresca built with Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard stepping into midfield zones, ensuring passing angles always existed.
At Chelsea, that responsibility fell to Colwill. Without him, Maresca faces challenges which includes balance when he plays a right-footer like Fofanaat LCB disrupts angles in build-up.
Continuity is another as both Fofana and Badiashile are still recovering match fitness, Tosin is sidelined, and Hato is untested in England.
The system thrives on predictability. Maresca knows exactly what Colwill or Tosin provides. Without them, the domino effect is significant, midfielders receive fewer progressive balls, wingers get isolated, and pressing triggers weaken.
Options on the table
Barring the return of Tosin, some possible pairings for Maresca’s Chelsea may involve a partnership of Badiashile–Chalobah. Although statistically compelling, Badiashile leads in line-breaking passes, Chalobah adds versatility.
The duo offers balance (left and right-footed) and ball progression, but questions remain about Badiashile’s concentration and Chalobah’s durability.
Another possible pairing is Hato–Fofana which is a high-upside gamble. Jorrel Hato, the £37m summer signing from Ajax, has potential to grow into Colwill’s role.
Fofana brings recovery pace and aggression. However, both are inexperienced in Maresca’s positional demands – and pairing two unproven players in Europe’s most tactical league is risky.
A hybrid Approach can be introduced with Acheampong and Anselmino filling in for any of the aforementioned defenders.
Also, Maresca could mirror Guardiola’s John Stones solution using Reece James or Malo Gusto as inverted centre-backs during build-up. This would overload midfield but expose Chelsea in defensive transitions. It’s an option of last resort, not a long-term fix.
Pundits and Fans: Divided on Solutions
LKCoyB on X posted: “We targeted Huijsen/Guehi even before Colwill’s injury because we know we needed this type of player. A CCB-type who can cover for Colwill at LCB (CCB in-possession) and play with him at RCB. For Colwill to now get injured and still not make a move is worrying to me. Sorry.”
Stu, a supporter, summed up the concern: “Losing Colwill is a massive blow. He grew as a leader and was a big factor in our late-season success.
“As much as I think Chalobah and Tosin can do a job, Badiashile isn’t good enough and Fofana is coming back from injury. We need Marc Guehi”.
Others are less panicked. Conor argued: “This is not a reason for us to panic buy. We still have Fofana, Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Acheampong, Hato to cover.”
Sharon Ekhiwere a pundit on Rhythm FM Benin, however, called for ambition: “Halt interest in Alejandro Garnacho and go all in on Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace so he can partner with Hato/Fofana/Chalobah. Without a top CB, I see Chelsea struggling. Defense wins titles”.
The consensus: Chelsea can cope in the short term, but Guehi, admired by both Chelsea and Liverpool seems inevitable in the summer.
Numbers may suggest replaceability, but football isn’t played on spreadsheets. Colwill’s calmness in games, and his ability to step into midfield lanes are unique.
During the Club World Cup, his introduction as a pivot transformed Chelsea’s defensive balance. Those moments build trust – with teammates, with fans, and with the manager. Intangibles like leadership and personality aren’t reflected in progressive pass charts.
This is why Maresca was so insistent: “The rest, they can adapt … but it’s not the same.”
Looking Ahead on short term basis, Maresca must juggle Badiashile and Chalobah while Tosin recovers. Hato will be blooded carefully, likely paired alongside with an experienced partner. Fofana remains a wild card: his physical profile fits, but his injury record breeds caution.
Long term, Chelsea cannot escape the Guehi question. The Crystal Palace defender, admired for his composure and leadership, fits perfectly into Maresca’s structure. But with the board focused on attacking additions the Blues must rely on internal solutions.
Colwill’s ACL injury is not just a loss of a defender, it’s a tactical void. Chelsea’s data shows other players can replicate elements of his passing and progression, but none combine those numbers with his leadership, composure, and system fluency.
Maresca now faces the ultimate coaching challenge: keep Chelsea competitive in the Premier League and Champions League without his key build-up anchor.
Whether through a Fofana –Tosin pairing, a Badiashile revival, or Hato’s fast-tracked development, solutions exist; but none are perfect.
The season may well be defined not by the attackers Chelsea chase, but by how well they replace the one defender they cannot buy back until 2026.
