Chelsea star opens up on U-turn after being banished to Under-21s under Enzo Maresca

Trevoh Chalobah, once on the brink of a Stamford Bridge exit, has become an integral part of Enzo Maresca's Chelsea squad since January. Last August, Chalobah was shipped out on a season-long loan to Crystal Palace after being informed he didn't fit into the Blues' plans. However, due to an injury crisis in the centre-back position, Maresca recalled the 26-year-old on January 15.

Since his return, the Chelsea academy product hasn't looked back. Chalobah has made appearances in 37 out of the Blues' 48 matches across all competitions since his recall. This season, he has started nine out of Chelsea's 10 Premier League games, missing only one due to a suspension following his red card against Brighton in September.

Chalobah, who has been with Chelsea since Under-9 level, once believed his time at Stamford Bridge was up. He had already been banished and forced to train with the U21s before securing aloan to Palace. Now, he is one of the first names on the team sheet at Stamford Bridge.

Reflecting on a tumultuous past year, Chalobah never felt the need to prove himself to Maresca.

"In life you have two choices: let it affect you or take what's in front of you," Chalobah shared. "I went on loan, kept my head down. I always knew I wanted to stay [at Chelsea] but some things were out of your control.

"I just kept working on my game and managed to bring myself back. I kept fighting and working every day, and that's what I have to do.

"For me, I didn't feel I needed to prove anything. I had been at Chelsea, played already two seasons before that and showed my level.

"I know that he [Maresca] and the club have seen my level. It was nothing to do with proving, it was just to come back and show my quality and help the team."

Throughout the summer of 2024, during Maresca's opening months at the helm, Chalobah found himself training alongside the U21s at Cobham, yet the defender - who earned his first senior England cap in June - remains determined to extract positives from every challenge.

"At that time, obviously, I was told I wasn't going to be part of the plans," Chalobah recalled. "But you can't dwell on things and sulk. I took it in a positive way and went back and got my games at Palace.

"Then I got called back and tried to show my level and my qualities again and help the team to do a successful season. Hopefully this season, we can do it again."

Chalobah is expected to feature in Chelsea's travelling party for their 5,000-mile round journey to Baku, Azerbaijan, where the Blues face Qarabag in their fourth Champions League encounter.