Trevoh Chalobah has pulled out of his loan spell at Crystal Palace from parent club Chelsea, multiple reports have revealed.
Chalobah moved to Selhurst Park last summer on a deal until the end of the season, although Chelsea retain the option to cut things short in January if they wish.
Athletics report that Chelsea have decided to activate the clause that brings Chalobah back to Stamford Bridge, with manager Enzo Maresca in desperate need of reinforcements following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.
Maresca had previously been probed about the possibility of Chalobah's withdrawal, but was embarrassed by his responses and stated that he did not want to disrespect Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner by talking about one of his players.
“I already said the last press conference, he's a Palace player and I think it's disrespectful. The reason why I think all the managers always say the same thing is because he's a Palace player,” the Italian said. “If I start talking about Trev, it's disrespectful to (Oliver) Glasner, if Oliver starts talking about our players, then maybe it's not good for me.
The 25-year-old is 'expected to play an important role' for Chelsea between now and the end of the season, potentially lining up alongside the ever-present Levi Colwill at the heart of Chelsea's defence. Academy graduate Josh Acheampong was in the starting lineup for Tuesday 2-2 draw with Bournemouth but has only played five games at senior level.
Chalobah will play no role Palace's trip to Leicester City on Wednesday – Chelsea's withdrawal is immediate – ending his Eagles career after just 14 appearances. He has previously spent time on loan at Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town when both sides were in the Champions League, and also has experience of playing abroad after spending a year in France with Lorient.