Chelsea will look to bounce back from defeat to Middlesbrough with a win over Fulham, having already defeated the Cottagers this season in the Premier League

Levi Colwill at left-back has been a bone of contention for much of the season for Chelsea fans. Ian Maatsen has been unfancied in the role, while Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell have suffered long-standing injuries.

However, it was Colwill that came into the season against Liverpool, playing a role most similar to that of full-back, with Chilwell playing in a more advanced position on the wing or tucking in centrally to monitor the danger of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Mauricio Pochettino’s preferred partnership in the centre of defence has been Axel Disasi and Thiago Silva.

The 20-year-old still sees himself as a central defender but believes he is learning from the experience.

He explained: “Obviously, I’m playing in a different position—everyone knows I’m a centre-back—but I am trying to help the team and learn as much as I can to help me in the future. There have been good moments, and I am happy to keep learning for the future when I return to centre-half.

“In terms of one-versus-one defending, as a full-back, you’re very exposed to the winger. When you’re at centre-back, you have players around you, and you can slow them down. So that has been tough.

“Another thing would be where you receive the ball, as a lot of the time you receive the ball on the line. At centre-half, when I’ve got the ball, I’m in control of the situation and can break the lines and start attacks. As a full-back, that’s harder because you’ve got the winger ahead of you, the centre-half next to you, or the midfielder. Those are your options.”

At Middlesbrough, it was clear that Colwill had some issues against Isaiah Thomas in one-versus-one situations. The defender had a difficult outing, which brought his suitability for the role firmly back into view.

In all likelihood, it will be Colwill who features in the position once again against Fulham. Maatsen is on the verge of a move, while Chilwell, even if he is fit, is unlikely to immediately start a game upon his return. Dylan Williams has been on the bench in Chelsea’s last two matches but has yet to feature.

It was against the Cottagers earlier in the season where Colwill showed some ability to flourish, however, in combination with Mykhailo Mudryk, another player who has struggled to shine consistently this season. The Ukraine international struggled to make an impact upon his introduction against Middlesbrough but certainly made one in 45 minutes against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

In the opening half of September, Colwill was able to show his passing quality to have an impact in advanced positions for the Blues. The Cobham product curled in a perfect pass forward for Mudryk to take the ball down with one touch into the box before finishing with a second. It was a move that exhibited confidence going forward that Chelsea have lacked so often this season.

It is little wonder that Colwill was the quickest to Mudryk in celebration. The Chelsea star, who signed a new deal in the summer, embraced his teammate and shouted in Mudryk’s ear as each of the duo delivered.

At the time, one commentator described it as a moment Chelsea had been searching for all season. Following their defeat to Middlesbrough, perhaps Pochettino will hope the duo can rekindle that magic against the Cottagers to spark the Blues back into form.