Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for centre-back Trevoh Chalobah loan with Crystal Palace to help their defensive issues.
Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are both sidelined with long-term injuries, although the latter has questioned the public confidence of manager Enzo Maresca that he could be out for the entire season.
The limited options available to Maresca saw him turn to 18-year-old Josh Acheampong, who blinded in front of one side of the Palace unable to play Chalobah at the weekend.
It was previously claimed that ChelseaPalace's loan deal does not include a break clause, but Athletics Now suggest otherwise and state that the Blues are considering bringing back Chalobah this month.
Chelsea already has brought back summer signing Aaron Anselmino from his loan with Boca Juniors to strengthen at the back and they could do the same with Chalobah, who has come to the fore under Oliver Glasner in south London this season.
The key to the Blues' thinking could be Chalobah's versatility. While a natural centre-back, the 25-year-old has plenty of experience at both right-back and midfield, meaning he can play a variety of roles in Maresca's fluid set-up.
Chalobah's return to Stamford Bridge would be important as was the academy graduate frozen out of the squad during the pre-season as part of a plan to sell him for a tidy profit under pressure from PSR, stripping him of his squad number and sending him to train with the 'famous bomb squad', before a loan spell at Palace appeared in end of the summer market.
This decision was met with real controversy, not least because of Chalobah's connection to the club. The 25-year-old played a major role in the second half of last season under former manager Mauricio Pochettino and was a key part of Chelsea's rise from 11th to sixth in the table.
Chelsea signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer in the summer and the former Fulham man, along with Axel Disasi, pushed Chalobah down the pecking order before Palace offered him the chance to reignite his career.