OPINION: Chilwell can become England’s first choice left-back again with Crystal Palace loan | OneFootball

Ben Chilwell has left Chelsea after a frustrating first half of the season under Enzo Maresca, joining Crystal Palace on loan.

Maresca made it clear Chilwell was not in his plans after the new Chelsea boss arrived in the summer, and the Englishman has played only 45 minutes in the EFL Cup.

The left-back has been with the Blues for four years and made 70 appearances before Maresca joined the club but the new style of play under the Italian has frozen Chilwell out of the first-team.

Chilwell joins a Palace side who needed defensive additions, with Tyrick Mitchell their only current fit, left-footed and left-sided defender.

Can Chilwell turn his career around?

A fresh start may be exactly what Chilwell needs. He has real quality, as he displayed with Chelsea in 2020 and 2021, under Thomas Tuchel.

He was playing as a wing-back then, and a return to the system may bring out his best. Palace deploy a 3-4-2-1 system, perfect for Chilwell.

Glasner is also thought to be a big fan of the Englishman, and a manager who has faith in him will be important after the way his time under Maresca has gone.

Chilwell excels when allowed the opportunity to overlap, and with Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada ahead of him, he will have plenty of opportunity to do so.

There is also the huge motivation for Chilwell of a potential return to the England squad under his former boss Tuchel.

With the German at the helm of the national team, there is real opportunity for the 28 year-old. Especially given the fact there is no clear first choice left-back in the England team.

Luke Shaw is rarely fit, and the likes of Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly are not experienced at international level.

A strong four-month showing from Chilwell at Palace and he will be right back in contention.