There was a lot going on in Chelsea’s 4-1 defeat to Celtic on Saturday night, and plenty of things to distract fans from one notable absence.
In the second game of our preseason, manager Enzo Maresca continued the heavy rotation we’ve seen as a pattern so far, changing up his team through the game once again.
But one man remained on the bench throughout – Ben Chilwell.
He would be expecting to go into this season as our number one choice at left back. That’s been his role for years, when injury has permitted him to play.
But this time things could be different. If his position on the bench wasn’t enough of a clue, the comments coming out since the game have made his diminished role quite clear. Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail has perhaps made it most clear.
“Chilwell is at his best when bombing down the left-hand side but Maresca’s full backs will be expected to move into midfield… his skillset is not seen as entirely suited to Enzo Maresca’s system of choice.”
All eyes on Chilwell in Chelsea’s next friendly
We’re sure Chilwell likely still has an important role to play this season – he’s too good a player not to. But it’s already been noted that he trained with the wingers in some sessions, and it may well be that whatever formation Maresca is cooking up ends up treating Chilwell as a rival to Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk rather than Marc Cucurella and Renato Veiga.
Tonight’s game will be an interesting next stage – surely we will see Chilwell at some point against Club America, for fitness reasons if nothing else. If he does get on, all eyes will be on his position on the pitch.
As Gill makes clear, if Chilwell is the odd one out, then his sale becomes far more likely.
