While Enzo Maresca could be keen to bolster his backline following a disappointing result at Elland Road, Axel Disasi hardly covered himself in glory either on Wednesday night
Axel Disasi had a night to forget as Paris Saint-Germain Under-21s stormed past Chelsea in the Premier League International Cup. The 27-year-old defender, who’s recently begun featuring for the development squad, failed to impress as the Blues lost 3-1 at Kingsmeadow.
Noah Nsoki fired the French outfit ahead before Ilyes Housni added a second after turning Disasi inside-out. PSG caught Chelsea on the counter-attack; the 20-year-old forward angled to shoot on his right, but as he approached the edge of the box, he quickly shifted the ball onto his left.
Housni left the out-of-favour Blues centre-half in his wake before smashing the ball into the bottom corner. Shumaira Mheuka pulled one back for Calum McFarlane’s side, but the Parisians restored their two-goal lead a few moments later.
Chelsea Under-21s are yet to get points on the board in the Premier League International Cup, having lost their opening clash to Dinamo Zagreb in October. The defeat to PSG marked Disasi’s second appearance for the youth team this season.
The France international will be eager to put his disappointing performance behind him as he stakes a claim for a place in the first team again. football.london understands that Chelsea plan to reintegrate Disasi over time.
The Frenchman, who has impressed behind the scenes, was told he could leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, but a move never materialised. As a result, Disasi was then informed that he was no longer part of the first team plans, training separately from Enzo Maresca’s side at Cobham.
Raheem Sterling was also exiled from the Chelsea setup after failing to find a new club in the summer, though he’s not been called up to McFarlane’s side. The Blues boss provided an update on the duo earlier this season.
“I’ve been in Raheem’s situation and Axel’s situation as a player,” said Maresca. “I know that it’s not the best feeling, because if you’re a player it means you want to train and play.
“But for different reasons, the situation is what it is in this moment. I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way, and this is the only thing I can say.
“It’s something you like to talk about, but it’s not just Chelsea, it’s any club in the world, I can promise you. Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil, any country in the world. For any reason, the player and the club doesn’t find a solution, if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad.”
When challenged on their treatment, Maresca added: “My father is 75 years old, and for 50 years he has been a fisherman working from two o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock in the morning. This is a hard life. Not the way a player works.”
Disasi, who has just under three and a half years left on his contract, joined Chelsea from Monaco in August 2023 for £38.5million. According to Transfermarkt, his value has fallen to just under £16million.
Maresca may be looking to bolster his options at centre-half following the disappointing performances of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile at Elland Road on Wednesday night. However, Disasi hardly covered himself in glory either at Kingsmeadow, which will make the decision to offload him in January a lot easier.
