MY ACCOUNT
Trevoh Chalobah looked to have an uncertain future at Chelsea coming into the new season but the young defender has enjoyed his time so far under Graham Potter.
Chalobah is undefeated in 30 starts for the West London club and there is a genuine argument to suggest that he should be on Gareth Southgate’s England radar.
Ahead of the Blues’ clash against FC Salzburg tonight, we turn the spotlight on the 23-year-old.
Terrific Trevor
Had Thomas Tuchel remained in charge of Chelsea, Chalobah may not be getting as much of a look in as he currently is under Potter.
The 6ft 4in powerhouse has played 90 minutes in each of the Blues’ last four Premier League games — a contrast to the first three matches of the campaign where he did not make an appearance.
Potter is clearly still adjusting to life at Stamford Bridge but his side have only conceded one league goal in their last four outings.
Having spent over £100million on defenders Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer, it seemed that the odds were stacked against Chalobah coming into the starting fold.
But the youngster has emerged as a key player and really stepped up in the absence of the injured Fofana — and it is not going unnoticed.
He also possesses the ability to play as a defensive midfielder and with N’Golo Kante out for the foreseeable future, Chalobah now finds himself as one of Chelsea’s most important assets.
Adaptive and reliable
Chalobah is yet to earn a senior call-up to the England squad, but he might find himself on the end of a surprise phone call from Southgate soon enough.
The injuries to Reece James and Kyle Walker have dented the head coach’s defensive options, with the latter almost certain to have played on the right of his first-choice back three.
Former Huddersfield loanee Chalobah is comfortable in a formation that utilises three centre-backs, as he has shown at Stamford Bridge.
He has played on both the right side and through the middle and excelled in both positions, committing just one foul in the Premier League this season.
Furthermore, Chalobah is yet to pick up a booking and has made 20 clearances, four interceptions and three tackles.
His calmness and decision-making give him the ability to play out from the back, making him a valuable asset for the way Potter likes to play.
Physical ability
When Chelsea visited Brentford last week, it was questioned whether Chalobah would be able to deal with the physical presence of Ivan Toney — but he coped brilliantly.
Although he has only won eight of his 18 aerial duels this season, the defender has never been bullied by his opponents and he has been previously described as a “soldier” by his new manager.
His combative qualities are something he has picked up from his brother Nathaniel, another Chelsea academy graduate who is now at Fulham.
Speaking on getting stuck in, he said: “With the boys round our area, we’d all gather together and just play in the cage, no matter how old you were. I’d play against 26-year-olds and I was just a baby back then.
“When I was in the younger age groups in the academy, I used to go over and play with him [Nathaniel]. We’d get the train in together and arrive early to do extra practice.”
The extra work Chalobah put in when he was younger has certainly paid off and he is now reaping the rewards.
World Cup worthy?
Potter is not surprised by the speculation that Chalobah could be included in Southgate’s provisional squad for the World Cup.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw to Manchester United at the weekend, he said: “I’ve been very impressed — and from day one I have to say, he didn’t start in the first couple of games but acted perfectly.
“He trained really well and was very professional and determined. He is an impressive character and very focused on his football. He wants to play, wants to help the team, wants Chelsea to win.
“So he is great in that regard and is a bit of a soldier. He has played in all the games because we’ve been having some problems in terms of availability for players, but he has stood in for us and is performing at a really good level.
“I’m not surprised he is getting that [England] link but thankfully that isn’t my decision, that is somebody else’s.”
Chelsea’s No14 may not be guaranteed a place in England’s senior set-up just yet, but he is doing all the right things to prove he should be involved in some capacity.
