Chelsea have recalled centre-back Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace as they look to bolster their defensive options for the second half of the season.
Chalobah, 25, had made 14 appearances for Palace under Oliver Glasner this season but now moves back west across London with Enzo Maresca's team in the midst of a slump in their league form.
Chelsea had emerged as surprise title contenders before a run of five Premier League games without a win that has left them 10 points behind Liverpool having played a game more.
Sources had told ESPN that Maresca and Chelsea were considering a move for Marc Guéhi, Chalobah's partner at the heart of the Palace defence, though the loan recall makes any move for the England international considerably less likely.
"He [Chalobah] wants to stay here but it's a decision that Chelsea can take to call him back," Glasner said of the then-impending decision in a news conference on Tuesday. "We are passengers, we are not the pilot who is flying the plane."
Maresca described Chalobah as "a good player" at a news conference of his own last Friday, but refused to comment further as he was a Palace player, and now the Italian coach has moved to fill the holes left by injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoît Badiashile.
Reece James scored his first goal in nearly two years to rescue a point for Chelsea against Bournemouth on Tuesday. They will hope to return to winning ways against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
