Chelsea opened the campaign strongly under Enzo Maresca, even rising briefly to second place in the Premier League despite a series of hurdles. The new head coach has relied heavily on rotating his squad, a method that has sparked both admiration and frustration among supporters and pundits.
So far, Maresca has altered his starting XI 93 times — more than any other club in the division — a sign of both the breadth of the squad and his desire to compete across all four competitions. Yet, reports suggest he still feels the group is not quite where he wants it to be.
This approach has been complicated by a significant list of absentees. Levi Colwill has been sidelined since suffering an ACL tear during pre-season in August, likely ruling him out of most of the year and England’s plans for Euro 2026. Cole Palmer has also spent weeks recovering from a persistent groin issue, originally expected to resolve quickly after the last international break but later extended by six weeks. Although he missed a full month, he is now anticipated to return before the end of November and may even be available for the Champions League clash with Barcelona.
In attack, the problems have been just as disruptive. Liam Delap endured a hamstring injury early in the victory over Fulham in August, costing him two months of action. His long-awaited return soon turned sour when he collected two unnecessary bookings against Wolves, drawing strong criticism from Maresca, who described the behaviour as “embarrassing.”
With Roméo Lavia facing yet another setback in a string of fitness problems, the treatment room has once again filled up. Over the season, Chelsea have had to manage without Colwill, Palmer, Benoît Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong at different stages — yet they have largely stayed on course.
Building on European success
Chelsea entered the season on the back of a historic achievement, having become the first club to win all five UEFA competitions by May. As Maresca attempts to extend that success, the team’s performances suggest they could continue pushing in Europe and domestically.
The ownership group BlueCo appears to be seeing the benefits of its long-term investment strategy, though the journey has included costly missteps since the takeover by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly in 2022.
One of the most notable examples is the deal for former Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In an interview with YouTuber Troopz, shared by ESPN, the striker admitted his move to Stamford Bridge had been a “big mistake.” Aubameyang arrived in September 2022 for roughly £10 million, reuniting with Thomas Tuchel — only for the manager to be dismissed days later, setting the stage for a troubled spell.
Aubameyang’s short-lived Chelsea chapter
Aubameyang’s Premier League debut came in October, during which he netted his first goal in a 2–1 win at Crystal Palace. However, his time in London quickly stagnated. Across 21 matches in all competitions, he scored only three times — all within a ten-day period that same month.
His situation worsened when Graham Potter excluded him from the Champions League squad in February, and he struggled just as much once Frank Lampard took charge. Ten months after signing, the veteran forward departed on a free transfer and joined Marseille on a three-year deal.
His stint is now widely regarded as one of the most unsuccessful signings made under BlueCo, leaving both club and player with a shared sense of disappointment.
