Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has criticised Chelsea for relying heavily on young defenders following their heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea were beaten 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Round of 16 second leg on Tuesday, completing an 8-2 aggregate loss to the French champions.

Reacting to the result, Hargreaves expressed concern over the club’s defensive lineup, which included several young or relatively inexperienced players.

“Chelsea has too many young players, they need experienced players,” he told TNT Sports.

He argued that successful Chelsea sides in the past were built around seasoned, world-class players, citing the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Claude Makélélé, and Michael Essien.

“You can’t have three academy kids in a back four against the European champions. It is impossible; it is never going to work,” he said, describing the aggregate defeat as excessive.

Chelsea’s defence on the night featured players such as Mamadou Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato, and Marc Cucurella.

The result has intensified scrutiny of Chelsea’s squad strategy, particularly their reliance on youth in high-stakes European fixtures.

Hargreaves’ comments add to growing debate over whether the club needs to balance its youthful squad with more experienced players to compete at the highest level.