Trevoh Chalobah has been performing well during his season-long loan at Crystal Palace, but it’s just been cut short so he can return to Chelsea this month.
Chelsea made the decision in the summer to send Trevoh Chalobah, 25, out on loan for the season to Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
The central defender has played 14 games across all competitions for Oliver Glasner’s side, scoring three times.
However, The Athletic now claims that Chelsea have activated a clause to recall Chalobah from Palace. Apparently, the English defender will return to Stamford Bridge with immediate effect.
What Enzo Maresca said about Trevoh Chalobah last summer
Chalobah, who’s a product of the Chelsea academy, has played 80 first-team games for the Blues already. He wasn’t included in the plans of Blues head coach Enzo Maresca when he was appointed last summer, though.
Following Chalobah’s omission from Chelsea’s pre-season tour last year, Maresca explained his disappointment with the decision. He said in July 2024 via The Evening Standard: “First of all, from my point of view, it’s always sad to leave players out, that can be out of a pre-season, or can be out of the squad or out of the first eleven because in the end they all work for the same target, that is to be part of the same team.
“The Trevoh situation for me is quite clear, we have Axel [Disasi] there, we have Tosin Adarabioyo there, we have Wes Fofana who in these two weeks has worked very good and is finally back, we have some very young profiles like Josh Acheampong who is doing fantastic. It’s a sad decision but we have to take the decision.”
Chelsea look a little silly by recalling Chalobah, especially because he was thriving at Selhurst Park. But they’re well within their right to bring the loanee back in January.
We predict that the 25-year-old will quickly force his way into the current XI during the second half of the season because they’re struggling in the heart of defence right now.
First and foremost, Maresca cited Wesley Fofana’s return to the Chelsea defence as one of the reasons for Chalobah’s exclusion from the pre-season squad. If you look at Fofana’s injury record, it’s absolutely no surprise that he’s picked up another long-term problem as his fitness is unreliable.
Maresca may think Fofana is ‘untouchable’ at Chelsea, but the 24-year-old centre-back’s latest injury has caused a massive problem in the backline. It was always a risk going into this 2024/25 campaign with him as one of the senior central defenders.
The second reason that Maresca was totally wrong on Chalobah is the fact he preferred Axel Disasi over him.
While Chalobah has been impressing in Palace colours for the last six months, Disasi has really struggled for form in West London. The 26-year-old’s slipped way down the pecking order, starting only four Premier League games. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he’s linked with a January exit.
Disasi is ready to leave Chelsea in the January window after a conversation with the manager.
In the long run, Chelsea could’ve saved themselves by valuing Chalobah more last summer, but now he’s back to prove he belongs in the starting team.
