Maresca's belief is that Chelsea need a central defender who can play out of the back in the same way Colwill can. "Yes, [Hato is a] central defender, but can he do that? It's different. Also, we have players that unfortunately, like Wes [Fofana] or Benoit [Badiashile], they have, in this moment, some [injury] problems.

Chelsea are weighing up their options to address a defensive gap after centre back Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, manager Enzo Maresca said ahead of their opening Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca believes the club must sign a new central defender after Levi Colwill was ruled out for most of the season with injury.