After Fofana, £90,000-a-week Chelsea player is also injured and will miss US Tour

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea have been dealt a blow as Benoit Badiashile remains injured, and will now need to sit out of the pre-season tour of the United States.

That is according to Football London.

So, what is the latest on Benoit Badiashile at Chelsea? Let’s take a look…

What’s the story?

Well, the France international suffered a serious hamstring injury at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Badiashile is yet to make a full recovery, and will now be required to stay behind at Cobham for rehabilitation while his teammates jet off to the United States.

The £90,000-a-week man is said to be targeting the start of the 2023/24 campaign as his comeback date, although Football London do not place a timeframe on his return.

Badiashile made a huge impact at Stamford Bridge following a £35m move from Monaco in January, scoring one goal in 11 Premier League games as he shone at the heart of Chelsea’s backline.

The 22-year-old joins his fellow centre-back and Frenchman Wesley Fofana in the treatment room, as the Chelsea No.33 is struggling with a knee injury, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Badiashile absence gives Colwill a chance at Chelsea

Badiashile operates as a left-sided central defender, which is where Levi Colwill shone on loan at Brighton last season.

The 20-year-old also dominated in that area as England won the Under-21 European Championships this summer, playing almost every minute as the Three Lions impressively secured the trophy without conceding a single goal.

Therefore – with Badiashile out injured – Colwill has a golden opportunity to impress Mauricio Pochettino and grab that position on the left for himself.

The Frenchman is Colwill’s primary competitor for that position, so if he can emerge as a star of Chelsea’s pre-season tour, we would fully expect him to be in the starting XI when the 2023/24 Premier League campaign kicks off.