A View From The Bridge

Injury News: Boost for Chelsea as long-time absentee returns to training

Injury update: Ben Chilwell returns to first-team Chelsea training

According to Football.London, Chelsea are in for a huge injury boost today as long-time absentee Ben Chilwell made his much-awaited return to first-team training. The English left-back has missed most of the second half of the current campaign with a ruptured cruciate ligament.

Having played 12 games for the Blues prior to being sidelined, the left-back suffered the injury in December during a Champions League clash against Juventus. He has since then been on the treatment table and is making a return to training now.

He was having a promising season on the left flank and both he and Reece James were havoc for opposition defenders to deal with. Having joined the club last summer, Chilwell has gone on to establish himself as a key cog in the Chelsea team.

The Blues will be relieved that the former Leicester man has returned to training. Whilst the current season is practically over and Chilwell is still some way from returning to the field, the fact that he is back with the lads will be a welcome boost for Thomas Tuchel.

Absence felt?

To say that Chelsea have missed the services of Ben Chilwell will be an understatement. In his absence, Marcos Alonso has admirably filled in at left-back but the Blues have found themselves stretched on several occasions.

At times, when the Spaniard has been injured or unavailable, Thomas Tuchel has been forced to resort to playing players out of position to fill in the void left by the Englishman.

We saw the likes of Malang Sarr and Saul Niguez deputise on that side of the pitch, but to very little effect. Chelsea themselves have had a very injury-plagued campaign and this is probably the worst one of them all.

Boost for Chelsea as Ben Chilwell returns to training (imago Images)

The 25-year-old is almost certainly not going to feature again this season but he will want to continue training and get back to speed as he looks to be ready, fit and firing for the start of the next season. It is most likely that the Englishman is the first-choice option going into next season and he could want to be prepared for that.

Chelsea need to be careful with how they handle the Englishman though and have to ease him back to complete training to avoid chances of any relapse. Having a completely fit Ben Chilwell is a necessity for the Blues going into next season.

More Chelsea News

The Blues will also have to be wise in the transfer market to ensure that a situation like this year does not repeat itself and that they are properly covered in all positions in case of injuries. In a season of much gloom, having just lost the final of the FA Cup as well, the return of Chilwell might just be the morale boost that the Blues were desperate for.

Pranav Kannan

I'm Pranav Kannan, a data scientist by day, football enthusiast by night. My journey with the beautiful game began with the mesmerizing play of Lionel Messi, whose unparalleled skill turned me into a lifelong Barcelona fan and sparked my passion for football. Writing about football has been a refreshing cocktail of joy, and probably the most intoxicating yet, much like experiencing the 6-1 comeback live. Through my work, I hope to connect with readers who share a similar excitement and love for the game and offer a fresh perspective.

Recent Posts

Chelsea shortlist two names as Maresca keen to strengthen one key area

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca eyeing defensive reinforcements in January Chelsea could well find themselves in the market to improve their…

7 hours ago

Chelsea ready to cash in on £20m star in January

Chelsea are willing to offload Carney Chukwuemeka in January amid interest from Ipswich Town Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has some…

8 hours ago

Noni Madueke praises Cole Palmer, and says he doesn’t have a ceiling

Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has sung the praises of his teammate, Cole Palmer, describing him as a player with extraordinary…

1 week ago

Fan Power: How Chelsea Fans Could Stop Stamford Bridge Move

Ask any matchday Chelsea fan who the CPO are, and they’ll tell you that it stands for the Chelsea Pitch…

3 weeks ago

Chelsea and Arsenal in pursuit of €427,308 per week striker

Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly planning to make a signing move for the Juventus Center forward in winter.

3 weeks ago

Former Arsenal star raves about Chelsea’s midfield maestro

Cole Palmer is taking the headlines for the performances he has been putting in since moving to Chelsea in the…

1 month ago