Chelsea star Levi Colwill to miss almost entire season as he undergoes emergency ACL surgery in huge blow to Maresca

LEVI COLWILL will miss most of the season after undergoing ACL surgery.

The Chelsea defender sustained the horror injury during the Blues’ FIRST training session of pre-season following their Club World Cup triumph.

Manager Enzo Maresca hinted on Thursday that the club may need to go back into the transfer market to find a replacement.

The Italian hailed Colwill, one of his few leaders, as a key figure in the side which won the Conference League and Club World Cup last season.

Chelsea had just three weeks off between the end of the Club World Cup on July 13 and the start of their preparations for the new season.

Colwill underwent a scan on Wednesday night before going under the knife on Thursday.

Speaking before the surgery, Maresca said: “We had a problem the last two days with Levi Colwill, that we don’t know how long he is going to be out.

“We will see, hopefully not too long, but for sure it’s a problem for us.

“We need to wait, we don’t know yet.

“It was in the first session on Monday, just in the last minutes of the session. He felt something and, as I said, we need to wait and then we see.”

Asked whether they will now sign a replacement, Maresca added: “It depends.

“We need to wait and then we see.

“But, as I said, we know each other from last year and, you know in our way, how important Levi has been.

“I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him – and he was a main player for us.”

Chelsea have signed teenager Jorrel Hato from Ajax, who can play at centre-back as well as left-back.

Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badishile are their other current options.

Axel Disasi is training away from the main group as part of the Chelsea ‘bomb squad’.