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Enzo Maresca has provided an injury update on five Chelsea players ahead of Saturday's Premier League season opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Just over a month since lifting the Club World Cup in the United States, the Blues are back in action in the Premier League. Chelsea welcome their London rivals to Stamford Bridge looking to start the new campaign with three points.
New signings Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Liam Delap, Estevao and Dario Essugo could all make their Premier League debuts over the weekend. However, all eyes are on Maresca's backline after Levi Colwill's long-term injury was confirmed last week.
The defender has undergone surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in training. "Now he's okay [and] aware that he is out for a long time," Maresca said on Friday.
"It's a big loss for us. How Levi was so important for us last season. Now he's out, we are going to try to find different solutions."
Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo are in contention to start at centre-back against Palace with Hato also capable of playing there. However, the likes of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are still at the club and Maresca was quizzed on their fitness in his pre-match press conference.
"He [Fofana] could be available. We'll see." Asked about Badiashile, Romeo Lavia and Chalobah, he added: "Benoit is in the process to come back. Romeo [is] exactly the same. Trev is okay."
Fofana missed most of last season due to injury. The Frenchman played 14 times in the Premier League with 12 of them coming in the first 13 games before next appearing in the games against Arsenal and Leicester City.
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