Previously frozen out left back Ben Chilwell has been handed a lifeline by Chelsea FC manager Enzo Maresca. The Blues boss has performed a total u-turn on the exiled fullback, who is now part of the plan again. Chilwell is back in training, and doing well, according to Maresca.
“Ben is one of the guys who was ready to leave, but he’s here and he’s training with us,” Maresca said. “He’s training well. He’s our player. The situation with him was very clear, but now the situation has changed a little bit. Game after game we are going to consider in case we are going to use him.”
EFL Cup Third Round FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Barrow
Kick: Tue. Sept. 24, 2024, 745pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Book on the Premier League authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: In the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital era, Chelsea have spent well over £1.5bn on new players
While he was not in the Premier League squad that routed West Ham yesterday, a League Cup tie against fourth tier Barrow seems like the perfect place for him to get some major minutes. Ditto for Romeo Lavia, who is a first-teamer, at least in theory, but never plays because he’s always injured. Has his hamstring finally healed? The timeline on his recovery and return seems to keep getting delayed.
Maybe his situation is more serious than they are letting on? Or maybe they just don’t really know and never have.
Additionally, it appears that Malo Gusto and Omari Kellyman (both hamstring) are actually out longer than had been initially anticipated. We won’t see either of them until early-mid October.
Finally, another player with a bad hammy, Reece James, remains out.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.
