It has just been confirmed that Ben Chilwell will need surgery on his knee, ruling the left back out until next season.
Chelsea fans had been hoping that the left back would be able to recover without a procedure, but those hopes have now been dashed, and it’s time to deal with the reality of the situation for the rest of this campaign.
Marcos Alonso is the club’s only fit left back, and while he has his days, he’s not up to Chilwell’s levels, and doesn’t play the role in the same way at all.
With games coming twice a week, there’s no way Alonso can play every minute anyway, so a solution at left back is needed as soon as possible.
There are players on loan who could be recalled, or young players who could be promoted, but a cheap January loan or signing to beef the squad up seems the obvious option.
The rumours about Lucas Digne seemed a little unlikely when Chilwell’s status was unknown. But it’s confirmed that the left back will miss 9 or so months, nothing can be ruled out. This January might end up being rather interesting after all.
