Chelsea push back Man City interest by handing important role to 19 year old academy starlet | OneFootball

Chelsea push back Man City interest by handing important role to 19 year old academy starlet | OneFootball

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·17 de agosto de 2025

Chelsea push back Man City interest by handing important role to 19 year old academy starlet

Imagem do artigo:Chelsea push back Man City interest by handing important role to 19 year old academy starlet

The first team news of the new season is out, and it’s full of interest for Chelsea fans, as you’d expect.

The Blues have strengthened majorly this summer, and you only have to look at the bench to see the effects of that. The attacking trio of Estevao Willian, Liam Delap and Tyrique George is so exciting.


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Defence already stretched by injuries

But right now the question marks are in defence. Wesley Fofana is fit enough for the bench, but will need some work to get him back to sharpness. Meanwhile Levi Colwill has had surgery on an ACL injury and will be out for the season.

Colwill’s absence will mean that both Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile are set to play significantly more this season than last season. But neither are available today thanks to small niggles of their own.

That means that, in the first matchweek of the season, we’re down to our 6th choice option already. In this case, as he did in the Bayern Leverkusen friendly last week, Enzo Maresca has opted for Josh Acheampong playing as a centre back.

Acheampong ready for an important season as versatile utility man

Imagem do artigo:Chelsea push back Man City interest by handing important role to 19 year old academy starlet

Josh Acheampong playing for Chelsea. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

The 19 year old is making just his 3rd Premier League start, although he did play plenty of minutes in the Conference League last year – albeit mainly as a right back.

This is a big show of faith in the youngster from Maresca. He won’t get many games in the middle this season once the competition are back, but should get lots of minutes as a versatile defender able to play either side, centrally or even inverting into midfield.

When we get to January, it will have to be considered whether he’s getting enough games, but this early faith is very promising.

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