LATEST NEWS: Chelsea could face a significant shortage as Mauricio Pochettino reportedly loses confidence in a £30m player.

Chelsea’s center-back options could be severely limited next season if Mauricio Pochettino opts to offload Benoit Badiashile during the summer transfer window. Badiashile, who joined Stamford Bridge in January last year, has faced setbacks in his development due to a series of injuries, limiting him to only eight Premier League appearances this season.

The Frenchman missed the start of the season with a hamstring problem and is currently sidelined with a groin issue, which has seen him miss Chelsea’s last three league games. He is unlikely to return to fitness until next month, meaning he will miss the Carabao Cup final showdown with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

It seems that injuries might have wrecked Badiashile’s hopes of making the grade at Chelsea, with  reporting that Pochettino has ‘lost faith’ in the defender as a viable first-team option. It is said that he could be made available for a move elsewhere in the summer amid interest from AC Milan, who are thought to be keen on bringing him to the San Siro.

Pochettino has reportedly grown frustrated with Badiashile’s poor form when he has been fit, with the Argentine open to letting him leave. A quick return to Chelsea’s starting side looks unlikely for the 22-year-old, who has slipped behind the likes of Levi Colwill, Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi in the Blues pecking order.

However, Chelsea could find themselves in a precarious situation if Badiashile is allowed to depart at the end of the season. With Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr also on the periphery and potentially leaving in the summer, and Thiago Silva unlikely to be offered a new contract, the club could be left with limited options in central defense.

This scenario could see Disasi, Colwill, and the injury-prone Wesley Fofana as Chelsea’s only recognized center-backs for the next season. While Alfie Gilchrist is also in contention, there may be doubts about whether the 20-year-old is ready to take on a significant role at such an early stage in his development.

In any case, it seems likely that Chelsea will look to strengthen in defence regardless of whether Badiashile stays or goes at the end of the campaign. They have recently been linked with a potential move for Marc Guehi, who left Chelsea to join Crystal Palace three years ago and is now recognised as one of the Premier League‘s best young defenders.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have also been credited with a desire to land Guehi, which suggests that Chelsea will face a four-way battle for his signature in the summer. Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande is said to be another target for the Blues but it remains to be seen how the situation will play out between now and the start of next season.