Chelsea’s start to the season has produced challenges, one of which they were warned about before the campaign got underway.
It’s fair to say Chelsea haven’t been performing well in the opening weeks, at least, compared to the expectations they had following a very fruitful summer.
Enzo Maresca has been in the hot seat following a rough couple of weeks, with some wondering if he’s the man to take Chelsea forward.
But that’s not really fair. External factors beyond the Italian’s control have contributed significantly to the struggles we have all seen.
One factor’s impact may have been lessened if the club had listened to a pre-season caution from one of their scouts.
Chelsea scout warned higher-ups about risk of injuries and fatigue
Chelsea scout Seyi Olofinjana has discussed the injury crisis that has hit the squad in the opening weeks of the season.
The former Wolves midfielder was hesitant to disclose what he said to the club, but hearing his take, and knowing not enough was done in response, does alleviate blame from Maresca.
Appearing on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football, the Nigerian explains: “I’ve got to be very careful what I say here, I work for Chelsea. But to be honest, this is what I discussed even with the directors in the football club.”
Olofinjana was concerned about the lack of recovery time afforded to the players after summer action, and he predicted the crisis Chelsea now find themselves in.
He continues: “Before any ball was kicked this season, I knew Chelsea would struggle given the season they had last year. When the season was finished, whether they won the Club World Cup was immaterial.
“When you play back-to-back and then you have only a week to come back into a new season, it happened with Colwill who has an ACL at the moment and will be out for a long time.”
What he said would happen did indeed come to pass.
Olofinjana’s doubts over business done at centre-back
Levi Colwill’s ACL injury has been the most impactful of the absences, and has put new signing Jorrel Hato in an unfavourable position.
On Colwill’s importance, the Chelsea scout remarks: “He’s a major part of what we did last year, talking about Chelsea, he’s a good defender by all accounts, left-footed, gives us a good balance. He can play some killer passes, so he was central to everything we did.”
But with the Englishman sidelined for the season, it leaves Hato in a much larger role.
As he puts it: “Losing him, Jorrel Hato coming, they brought him as a potential understudy then begins to play probably in a year or so.”
That won’t be possible now, with Chelsea struggling for options at the back. And it’s not to say he’s not good enough. Hato was a standout against Brighton, and he clearly has heaps of ability.
Chelsea think he can cover Colwill in the medium term, but he needs the chance to acclimatise to a new league. That Chelsea would have to rely on a 19-year-old to shore up the defence after over a billion spent is a damning indictment on some decisions made this summer.
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