Chelsea could find itself in a sticky centerback situation come February

It’s no secret some of Chelsea’s centerbacks are unhappy with their playing time at the moment, and this could mean a January exit.

Chelsea’s centerback situation has been pretty cookie cutter up to this point. Ever since Thiago Silva’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, he and Kurt Zouma have made up the first team’s main starting duo in Frank Lampard’s four-man defense. Behind them is the partnership of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Lampard turns to these players during matches against lesser opponents or when the team plays two games in quick succession. That leaves Fikayo Tomori as the odd man out.

There have been no complaints from either of the starting centerbacks; Zouma and Silva are as happy as can be right now. The same cannot be said for the other three central defenders on the Blues’ roster though. Rudiger flirted with the idea of leaving in the summer, Tomori searched for a loan and while Christensen hasn’t been as vocal, it’s difficult to imagine he’s content with his current role. We’re now about 1/4 of the way through the January transfer window and rumors of Lampard’s need to trim the squad have given birth to a potential nightmare scenario at the back heading into February.

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Before the matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City, it seemed a sure thing that one centerhalf would be departing at the turn of the new year. As Christensen stayed on the ground in agonizing pain though—watching Villa’s equalizer find the back of the net—things became a bit more complicated. While the Dane was able to see out the game, he wasn’t included in the 20-man matchday squad against Man City, nor will he feature against Morecambe. This means the Blues are now down to just four healthy centerbacks, the minimum Lampard requires in his squad.

Christensen was likely going to stay anyways, so his injury doesn’t make his future any less certain, at least for the short-term. It does make the Rudiger and Tomori cases a bit more hazy though. The duo is set to start the FA Cup bout against Morecambe in a few days’ time, this isn’t enough to satisfy either defender though. That being said, they may have little say in their plans for the near future. Christensen’s injury—depending on the severity—may see both Rudiger and Tomori forced to see out the season at Stamford Bridge. If either—or God forbid, both—pushes heavily for a move though, the Blues will almost certainly grant them their transfers. This could leave Lampard with just two or three healthy centerbacks on his roster.

There are emergency options at the back, such as playing Cesar Azpilicueta in the middle. This plan comes with its concerns though; first being Azpilicueta’s longevity and second being Reece James’ health status. Even then, Silva cannot play every minute of every match. Therefore, Chelsea would need to purchase a new defender or recall one of its loanees. The January transfer window is incredibly difficult to maneuver. Purchasing a centerback would become increasingly more challenging if the Blues have not done their scouting. This would mean they are stuck with an expensive alternate, who will hardly play, or they are forced to look elsewhere to fill the gap. Luckily, Chelsea has a plethora of players out on loan.

The obvious choice would be to recall Marc Guehi from Swansea City. Guehi has impressed his parent club so much in the Championship that he’s destined to get an opportunity to compete for a first team place next summer. The biggest question remains whether or not the Blues would want to halt the development of their finest young defensive prospect. If they do not turn to Guehi, there is no shortage of other decent options. The first of which is Malang Sarr. Sarr hasn’t played as much as Chelsea would have wanted at Porto thus far, appearing in just 12 matches. The downside there is pulling Sarr away from the Portuguese club before it exits the Champions League. Sarr has played in five UCL games this season, which is invaluable experience for a 21-year-old.

Jake Clarke-Salter, who has performed well in preseason over the years, and Matt Miazga are the two more dire recalls available to Lampard. Should the situation reach a point in which the Blues simply need bodies to cover for the unavailable or fatigued centerbacks, Clarke-Salter and Miazga are available. Chelsea would ideally like to leave every loanee where they are currently and not risk ruining the relationship it has with other clubs. Unfortunately, the situation may call for some desperate actions on the transfer or loan front.

Who should stay and who should go in January? Let us know which centerbacks would be on your ideal roster in the comments or on Twitter!