Chelsea have only one Tosin Adarabioyo solution now

LONDON — Chelsea survived a FA Cup scare on Saturday, edging League One side Wrexham 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals, yet the victory felt more like a reprieve than a triumph. The defensive frailties that have stalked the Blues all season were laid bare again, and no player embodied the unease more starkly than Tosin Adarabioyo.

Tasked with anchoring a makeshift back line, the summer free-transfer from Fulham turned in another performance that supporters and analysts alike are calling “catastrophic.” Mis-timed clearances, sluggish reactions and a seeming inability to track runners nearly allowed the Welsh underdogs to stage a historic upset. By the final whistle, the 26-year-old had become the focal point of fan frustration and, increasingly, a symbol of Chelsea’s wider recruitment missteps.

Signed without a transfer fee last July, Adarabioyo arrived billed as low-risk depth. Seven months on, the cost of that “free” acquisition is being tallied in points dropped and defensive chaos. Manager Liam Rosenior, already hamstrung by injuries to senior centre-backs, continues to list Adarabioyo in his starting XI only because alternatives are scarce. The result is a vicious cycle: the more minutes he accumulates, the more vulnerable the entire defensive unit appears.

Partnerships have suffered. Benoît Badiashile, himself under scrutiny for inconsistency, has looked increasingly exposed when paired with Adarabioyo, whose lack of pace and positional sense force teammates into reactive, rather than anticipatory, roles. Against Wrexham, the pair were repeatedly split by simple diagonal runs, and only last-ditch interventions from midfielders spared greater embarrassment.

Rosenior’s post-match tone was terse. While praising the team’s attacking response, he conceded that “individual errors are costing us momentum,” a comment widely interpreted as a public indictment of his centre-back corps. Privately, club sources indicate the coaching staff have exhausted tactical tweaks designed to shield Adarabioyo, from deeper midfield screens to a more conservative full-back alignment. None have masked the fundamental issue: a centre back ill-equipped for Premier League speed and physicality.

With cup progression secured but defensive credibility eroding, Chelsea now confront a stark reality. The transfer window is closed, youth options are raw, and recovery timelines for injured defenders remain uncertain. That leaves one pragmatic resolution: remove Adarabioyo from the firing line. Whether that means promoting academy prospect Levi Colwill—himself only recently returned to fitness—or repurposing a naturally defensive midfielder, Rosenior must break the cycle of selection loyalty that is actively undermining results.

Until reinforcements arrive, the message around Cobham is unambiguous: avoid starting Tosin Adarabioyo at all costs. Anything less, and the Blues risk turning every fixture into a shoot-out they cannot guarantee winning.