Chelsea confirm Trevoh Chalobah's new shirt number after he was brutally stripped of the No.14 before Crystal Palace loan and shock recall

Chelsea’s defensive ranks have been severely depleted due to injuries to key players with both Benoît Badiashile and Wesley Fofana sidelined with hamstring issues. To address this challenge, the club has opted to bring back Chalobah, who had been performing well during his loan stint at Selhurst Park, with the defender set to don the No.23 shirt.

Chalobah, a product of Chelsea’s academy, was initially deemed surplus to requirements last summer and was excluded from the first-team squad during pre-season. Despite this, the 24-year-old defender found success at Crystal Palace, where he embraced a season-long loan. However, with Chelsea winless in their last five league matches, the Blues see his versatility and familiarity with the club as valuable assets. Moreover, he can operate both as a centre-back and a right-back, which is expected to provide much-needed depth to Maresca’s squad.

After leaving Palace, Chalobah put out a heartfelt tweet which read: "It was short and sweet, but this club made such an impact on me so quickly. I was made to feel at home from day one, from the staff, teammates, community and you the supporters. The atmosphere at Selhurst was a vibe every single game. Thank you all!! Trev."

Chelsea’s next Premier League match see them host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. Given the team’s defensive challenges, Chalobah might have an opportunity to feature in the lineup, as the club look to turn around a disappointing run of form.