By putting up an outstanding defensive performance for the Blues against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the Champions League round of 16, Chelsea star Kalidou Koulibaly disproved many of his detractors. Koulibaly hasn’t been consistent since joining from Napoli in the summer, and the January arrival of Benoit Badiashile caused him to lose his place in Graham Potter’s starting Lineup.
Koulibaly was frequently used on the left side of a back three during his first few months at Chelsea, with Potter choosing to use a formation identical to the one that had so much success for him at Brighton. But those good fortunes did not continue in west London, and Potter switched to a back four where Badiashile has partnered Thiago Silva for the past four Premier League games.
The pair have combined to allow just one goal in 360 minutes of play, enabling Chelsea to avoid scoring against Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Fulham. The chance of Koulibaly rejoining the team was minimal due to their current status, but the Champions League offered a significant opportunity for the 31-year-old.
Silva would need a new teammate for the match in Germany as Badiashile was left off Chelsea’s roster for the knockout stages and only three new signings were permitted to be registered.
While he missed the previous weekend’s game against West Ham due to illness, Koulibaly was a choice over Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana.
Since Badiashile wasn’t included on Chelsea’s roster for the knockout stages and only three new signings were allowed to be registered, Silva would require a new colleague for the encounter in Germany.
Koulibaly was a better option than Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana despite missing the game against West Ham the weekend before due to illness.
Silva, Hakim Ziyech, and Marc Cucurella allegedly didn’t make the Chelsea squad to face Southampton, according to team news aggregator Sam_c345 on Twitter. Reece James is another significant absence, he added. According to The Athletic, James is on rest after having played 240 minutes in the previous 15 days after returning from injury.
Given the size of the roster at his disposal as a result of Todd Boehly’s significant January purchase, Potter appears to be taking a large risk by resting some of his first-team stars, but he can probably afford to do so.