News

£50m Chelsea player spotted back in first team training, he hasn’t played since September

Add as preferred source on Google

One Chelsea player who has been out of action for quite a while now has been spotted back in first team training.

Pictures on the official club app show Ben Chilwell walking out for action alongside his teammates as he approaches his return from injury.

Chilwell has not featured on the pitch for the Blues since September, when he suffered a bad injury during the EFL Cup tie against Brighton.

Chelsea Training and Press Conference
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

The England international had been featuring in a variety of positions before his issue, with Mauricio Pochettino clearly really rating the left-sided player.

Traditionally a left-back, Chilwell actually ended up playing a lot of his football as a winger.

This decision was highly criticised by some supporters, with the selection stopping the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk from getting regular minutes.

Chilwell back in training

His absence has gone hand-in-hand with an issue for Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard has recently undergone surgery and wont be back for a number of weeks.

However, it looks as if Chilwell is far closer to making his return, with him now being back in training alongside his teammates.

When he has not been available, Levi Colwill has been taking the brunt of minutes in the left-back position.

While he has obviously done a job, he has always looked as if he is playing out of position, which is essentially what he is being forced to do.

This has seen him not able to get any minutes at the back as a centre-back, which may explain why Thiago Silva has played so many minutes despite turning 39 earlier this season.

It is likely to be his final campaign at this level, and therefore the Blues will be looking ahead to a future that likely will involve Colwill leading from the back.

Chilwell’s return is therefore essential to see him transition back to the heart of defence.