Maresca's belief is that Chelsea need a central defender who can play out of the back in the same way Colwill can. "Yes, [Hato is a] central defender, but can he do that? It's different. Also, we have players that unfortunately, like Wes [Fofana] or Benoit [Badiashile], they have, in this moment, some [injury] problems.

"We are trying to find a solution internally, but the club knows exactly what I think and we will see what happens," Maresca said on Friday.

Chelsea are weighing up their options to address a defensive gap after centre back Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, manager Enzo Maresca said ahead of their opening Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Sunday.