Chelsea explore Marc Guehi return as Crystal Palace also fight to keep Trevoh Chalobah | OneFootball

The Eagles face a battle to keep both of their centre-backs this month

Chelsea are interested in re-signing Marc Guehi amid their damaging spate of centre-back injuries.

While a deal for the Crystal Palace defender would be hard to pull off this month, the Blues are exploring it as a possibility, with Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both currently sidelined.

They remain desperate to keep their captain, but Guehi is now entering the final 18 months of his contract and is yet to agree a new deal, which could force Palace’s hand.

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Guehi joined Chelsea aged eight and came through the youth ranks at Cobham in a crop that included the likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Tyrique Lamptey and Ian Maatsen.

However, he made only two senior appearances in cup competitions before impressing on loan at Swansea and then joining Palace in an £18m deal in 2021. It was reported at the time that the Blues included both sell-on and right-to-match clauses in the agreement.

He has since become a star performer at Selhurst Park and broken into the England squad, starting all but one game during the run to the final of Euro 2024.

Chelsea are weighing up their options to strengthen in defence, with Maresca suggesting last week that Fofana could miss the rest of the season with a serious hamstring injury. Badiashile, who had been deputising at the heart of defence, is also out injured and will not return until next month at the earliest.

Chelsea can also recall Chalobah from his Crystal Palace loan but the club are open to a permanent addition

Maresca still has a number of options available to partner Levi Colwill, including Tosin Adarabioyo and Axel Disasi, while 18-year-old academy product Josh Acheampong impressed in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Fellow teenager Aaron Anselmino has also been recalled from a loan at Boca Juniors.

However, Enzo Maresca was keen to reinforce his defence last summer and both Disasi and Badiashile have recently been linked with moves.

The Blues have a recall option on Trevor Chalobah, who has been playing alongside Guehi during a promising loan spell at Palace. That would represent a short-term solution, but the club are also open to making a permanent addition - like that of Guehi - should the right opportunity arise.

While Fofana had formed a strong partnership with Colwill in the early part of the season, there are concerns over the Frenchman’s fitness long-term.

The 24-year-old has seen all three of his seasons at Chelsea heavily disrupted by injury, playing just 32 out of a possible 126 matches since his £70m move from Leicester in August 2022. He also suffered a broken leg during his final season with the Foxes and missed most of that campaign.