Chelsea’s Champions League return ended in frustration on Wednesday night as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Bayern Munich.

Despite spells of promise, defensive errors cost Enzo Maresca’s side dearly, sparking renewed calls for reinforcements at the back.

Chelsea’s defensive frailties exposed

The Blues looked competitive for large parts of the game but conceded three avoidable goals, each stemming from mistakes in the defensive line.

With Levi Colwill sidelined by a long-term ACL injury and Wesley Fofana still working his way back to fitness, Maresca’s squad looks thin on experience in central defence.

Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah provide depth, but both lack the top-level pedigree required to deal with the calibre of opposition Chelsea now face in Europe.

The absence of a commanding, battle-tested centre-back was glaring against Bayern’s relentless attack.

Hargreaves calls for proven leadership at the back

Speaking after the game on TNT Sports, Owen Hargreaves highlighted the lack of senior leadership in Chelsea’s defensive unit compared with the club’s glory years.

“If I think back to those Chelsea teams that won everything, they had Petr Cech, Carvalho, John Terry – that’s the basis of any team,” he explained.

“It’s not a criticism, it’s just a fact. The two young centre-backs did okay but when you’re up against Diaz, Olise and Kane, mistakes cost them more than anything.”

Hargreaves stressed that while Colwill and Fofana are “two fabulous players,” Chelsea still need an experienced head to guide their backline through high-pressure moments.

Marc Guehi back on the radar

The pundit believes Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi fits the bill perfectly. Guehi came close to joining Liverpool on deadline day before the move collapsed, and Hargreaves feels Chelsea should throw their hat into the ring.

“But I do think if they can address that centre-back position, even though they’ve got Colwill and Fofana, they need a little bit more experience as one of those players,” he added.

With Guehi entering the final year of his Palace contract and top clubs across Europe circling, Chelsea may need to act quickly if they want to secure the England international’s services.