‘Unexpected’ – Player returns to Chelsea and set for key role under Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

In a slightly unexpected move, Trevoh Chalobah is heading back to Chelsea, with his loan spell at Crystal Palace reportedly cut short.

That’s according to an update from The Athletic this morning, with Chalobah now expected to come back and play a key role in Enzo Maresca’s squad for the rest of the season.

Chalobah has had a mixed career at Stamford Bridge, having sometimes played regularly and performed well, but having also occasionally been completely out of the first-team picture.

A loan move to Palace in the summer made sense for Chalobah, but it now seems he’s back and set to play his part for the Blues in the second half of the season.

In The Athletic’s piece, Liam Twomey describes Chalobah’s return as an ‘unexpected opportunity’ for the 25-year-old.

Trevoh Chalobah heading back to Chelsea in unexpected deal

Trevoh Chalobah in action for Crystal Palace (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

“This is the latest twist in a turbulent few months for Trevoh Chalobah, who had every reason to believe his Chelsea career was over when he joined Palace on a season-long loan in August,” Twomey wrote in the piece.

“Chelsea made it abundantly clear throughout last summer that he would not be in head coach Enzo Maresca’s plans for the season, omitting him from the club’s preseason tour squad, stripping him of his squad number and assigning him to train with the so-called “bomb squad”.

“Chalobah responded by making a positive impact at Palace, and shifting circumstances at Stamford Bridge have now granted him an unexpected opportunity to re-establish his value to Chelsea in the injury absence of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.”

It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Chalobah can make for CFC now, while Marc Guehi’s situation will also surely be one to watch.

Guehi had also been considered by Chelsea while they pondered recalling Chalobah, and it remains to be seen if the west Londoners will attempt both deals.

Palace surely wouldn’t be prepared to sell an important defensive player now that they’re losing Chalobah’s presence in their squad.