'It's a priority' – Enzo Maresca names the position Chelsea will look to strengthen after suffering major injury blow before Bayer Leverkusen win

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has named the "priority" position that his side must strengthen ahead of the summer transfer window shutting.

• Chelsea lose player to injury
• Maresca wants more cover
• Beat Leverkusen in friendly win

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea are facing a defensive headache as Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are sidelined and fellow centre-back Levi Colwill will be out for a long time with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Despite reports suggesting the Blues won't try and sign a replacement, Maresca has said otherwise.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT MARESCA SAID

  After Chelsea's 2-0 pre-season win over Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, he told Channel 5: "It is a priority [signing a new defender] for me. Levi is a fantastic player. What we achieved last season is because of him. He played a lot of games with me, I love him. We are going to miss him. We are also trying to find different solutions."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Colwill is arguably Chelsea's best centre-back, and even when he was in the team, the Blues looked a bit shaky at the back at times last season. If Maresca's side want to push on this season, they need to sign a quality defender, particularly if they have desires about winning the Premier League.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  As Chelsea try and find a new defender before the transfer window shuts in just over three weeks, the west London outfit take on AC Milan on Sunday in their final pre-season game before kickstarting the new Premier League season at home to Crystal Palace on August 17.