Antonio Conte wasted everyone’s time when he recalled £20m Chelsea loanee, Enzo Maresca now risks doing the same

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has gone down the same route as Antonio Conte during the 2017 January transfer window.

With Chelsea having quite a few issues in defence right now, Trevoh Chalobah has been recalled from his loan at Crystal Palace.

It serves as an alternative to Chelsea spending money on a new defender in the transfer market, though there is a possibility that they still do. It has been claimed that Chelsea are still looking at centre-backs.

For now, though, Chelsea are putting their trust in an option that they already have, which is what Conte did eight years ago when he was managing the club.

• READ MORE: How Trevoh Chalobah’s return impacts Josh Acheampong’s Chelsea future as Enzo Maresca now has big decision to make

When Chelsea and Antonio Conte recalled Nathan Ake

By the time Chelsea got to January during the 2016/17 season, they were flying and eventually went on to win the Premier League title.

However, they were very light in the left wing-back position, with Conte having no real alternative to Marcos Alonso. As a result, Ake was recalled from his loan at Bournemouth, though no one really benefitted from that decision in the end.

Ake went on to make just two appearances in the Premier League after managing to find some real consistency at Bournemouth.

He was eventually sold to the Cherries for £20m at the end of the season, resurrecting his career there before moving on to Manchester City.

Fast forward to now, and Maresca finds himself in a similar situation with Chalobah.

Trevoh Chalobah could be another Nathan Ake

Like Ake, Chalobah was also doing well on his loan before being dragged back to Stamford Bridge.

The 25-year-old was playing regularly at Palace, even managing to score a few goals for them.

He has now returned to Chelsea and while Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are both injured, prompting the Blues’ decision to recall Chalobah, Maresca still has Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Josh Acheampong and Axel Disasi for the time being.

It means Chalobah could easily find himself sitting on the bench for the remainder of the season. What Maresca chooses to do with him will be interesting to see.

Chalobah may not have to worry about Disasi for too much longer, though. Disasi is currently being linked to three Champions League clubs after struggling to break into Maresca’s starting XI this term.