£35m Chelsea player has been dreadful in pre-season, Enzo Maresca can’t start him against Man City

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This time next week, Chelsea will be getting ready for their Premier League opener against Manchester City.

Chelsea have already lost to Man City during pre-season but will have the chance to get revenge when they take on the champions at Stamford Bridge on August 18.

Their performance in the friendly was a bit of a horror show, with Pep Guardiola’s men going 4-0 up and Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick.

Benoit Badiashile did not start that day, and Enzo Maresca has criticised Chelsea’s defence as a whole.

However, when the central defender has been on the pitch for the Blues during pre-season, he has been far from impressive.

• READ MORE: Enzo Maresca will decide if Chelsea are going to keep £30m player this summer

Benoit Badiashile’s dismal pre-season

Chelsea still have one friendly left, against Inter Milan, before they start their domestic campaign. So Badiashile has another chance to convince Maresca.

He needs that opportunity because from what he has shown so far, the Italian would not have been impressed.

For example, the Frenchman could have perhaps put more effort into trying to stop one of Real Madrid’s goals in the European champions’ 2-1 win against Chelsea, but he was so slow to the goal line.

Chelsea fans hit out at Badiashile after his performance in the team’s 4-1 defeat to Celtic, too.

Benoit Badiashile should not start against Man City

Based on his performances in pre-season, then, Badiashile probably should not be starting when Chelsea welcome City to Stamford Bridge next Sunday.

The new Chelsea manager has other options he can use, such as Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo. Again, though, the Blues’ backline as a whole struggled in the United States, not just Badiashile.

But since arriving at Chelsea from AS Monaco in a £35m deal, the France international is yet to prove that he should be a starter and is the man for the big occasion.

At 23, Badiashile is still quite young and he has had some injury trouble, so Chelsea should not give up on him just yet. However, right now, the former Monaco man would not be the first name on the teamsheet.