Chelsea duo set Lincoln challenge after Enzo Maresca sends pointed transfer message

It's no secret Enzo Maresca was keen to sign another central defender in light of Levi Colwill's ACL injury sustained in training in early August. The devastating blow rocked Chelsea, who were striving to build upon this summer's impressive Club World Cup triumph in the United States.

Colwill was integral to their success Stateside and looked poised for a huge season ahead of the World Cup in 2026. Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo have forged a partnership in their team-mate's absence, while Wesley Fofana is slowly beginning to build some rhythm following a series of notable fitness struggles.

But when quizzed on the prospect of freshening up his backline and rotating at Lincoln, Maresca claimed on Monday that he did not have a vast number of options at his disposal.

The Italian said: "I would love to rest both [Chalobah and Tosin] because they deserve to rest. The problem is that we also have Wes Fofana playing after a long time. So if we rest Tosin, Trev, and if we rest Wes, probably I need to play some part of the game!"

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The quip eluded to Chelsea's lack of depth at centre-back without mentioning Josh Acheampong, who started the club's opening day goalless draw with Crystal Palace, and Jorrel Hato. Benoit Badiashile remains sidelined through injury.

While Hato was predominately signed to provide cover and competition for Marc Cucurella, he has previously featured as a central defender during his time at Ajax.

Of course, Cucurella will be in line for some rest, meaning Hato could slot in for his debut at left-back, but additionally, Chelsea's recruitment staff will have been well aware of his quality at centre-back and perhaps it's a surprise he has not yet been utilise there to date.

The trip to Lincoln should theoretically provide Maresca with the chance to shuffle his pack and experiment with some different options. Acheampong should return to the fold after being left out of the squad for the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United and a strong performance would serve as the perfect reminder of his qualities ahead of this weekend's match against Brighton.

Hato, who has also played just 66 minutes of action this term, will also be looking to hit the ground running, even if he's likely to remain second in command to Cucurella moving forward. That said, he has not joined Chelsea to warm the bench. Prior to his switch to Stamford Bridge, he was widely recognised as one of Europe's most-promising defenders and his versatility means he is an important asset.

It's clear both are currently some distance from forcing their way into Maresca's starting XI, but Lincoln provides both players with an opportunity to showcase their talent. Given the Chelsea boss likes at least one of his full-backs to step into the midfield, that could prove beneficial for Hato, who is more likely to tuck in and form part of a back-three in possession. Both players are more than good enough to earn more regular Premier League minutes.