Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca opens up on ‘sad decision’ to leave Trevoh Chalobah out of pre-season tour

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained his decision to leave out Trevoh Chalobah from the squad that travelled to the US for their pre-season tour. The English defender was among a couple of names that were omitted from the 28-man squad.

Chalobah was a surprise miss for the US tour. The 25-year-old Englishman has been at the club since he was eight. He is also one of the few academy graduates to break into the Chelsea first team in recent seasons.

Speaking on what he dubbed a 'sad decision' on leaving out Chalobah from the pre-season preparation in the US, Maresca revealed that it was a tough call. He further pointed out that the right-centre-back position was already stacked with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, and new signing Tosin Adarabioyo.

Explaining his decision, Maresca said (via Mirror):

"First of all, from my point of view, it’s always sad to leave players out, that can be out of a pre-season, or can be out of the squad or out of the first eleven because in the end they all work for the same target, that is to be part of the same team."

He continued:

"The Trevoh situation for me is quite clear, we have Axel [Disasi] there, we have Tosin [Adarabioyo] there, we have Wes [Fofana] who in these two weeks has worked very good and is finally back, we have some very young profiles like Josh Acheampong who is doing fantastic. It’s a sad decision but we have to take the decision.”

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What next for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah?

The 25-year-old defender isn't part of the Chelsea squad currently in the US for their upcoming pre-season friendlies.

Chalobah was among a couple of high-profile names that were left behind alongside the likes of Datro Fofana, Alfie Gilchrist and Cesare Casadei, among others.

The 25-year-old defender is currently contracted to Chelsea until 2028, having signed an extension 18 months ago. He was reportedly close to leaving the club last summer but turned down a move to Nottingham Forest on deadline day.

Chalobah is reportedly valued at around £30-35 million with Chelsea ready to sell, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. He is currently being targeted by three PL clubs, according to the Italian journalist.

The defender has made 80 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring five goals and registering one assist.