Enzo Maresca has confirmed a member of the Chelsea ‘bomb squad’, Ben Chilwell, is set for a dramatic and long-awaited return to first-team action just a few weeks after being put up for sale.
Maresca, who took over at Stamford Bridge in July, made no secret of his desire to offload England international Chilwell during the summer transfer window.
Chilwell was banished from first-team training following the club’s pre-season tour and Maresca admitted in a press conference that the ex-Leicester City star should leave if he has aspirations of playing regular football this season.
Maresca, who won the Championship last season with Leicester, said the same about Raheem Sterling but while he left Chelsea to join Arsenal on a season-long loan deal, Chilwell remained at Stamford Bridge following the summer window.
Chilwell is yet to get any minutes this season but Maresca confirmed last week that he had changed his mind and was willing to give him another change to revive his career in west London.
And speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, Maresca confirmed Chilwell would likely feature for Chelsea in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round clash against League Two side Barrow.
‘I think so,’ Maresca said when asked if Chelsea fans could expect to see Chilwell in the hosts’ team at Stamford Bridge. ‘Hopefully we can give him some minutes tomorrow.
‘The idea for him was to leave. In the moment that he’s here, he’s one of the squad, he’s training.
‘He will be in the squad tomorrow and hopefully we can give him some minutes.’
Maresca was widely criticised for his brutal stance on several unwanted Chelsea players towards the end of the summer transfer window.
But the Italian has overseen a promising start to the 2024-25 campaign, with Chelsea taking 10 points from a possible 12 following an opening-day defeat to champions Manchester City.
Maresca intends to rotate his squad for the upcoming cup clash and has urged his fringe players to make the most of the opportunity.
‘They are players that train every day very good but unfortunately I cannot give them chances,’ Maresca said.
‘All the players that are not getting so many chances, tomorrow is a good chance for them to get minutes and to hopefully win a game.’
Chilwell was reportedly offered to Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Manchester United as the Blues worked on a deal to sign Old Trafford flop Jadon Sancho last month.
Since the summer window closed, Chilwell – who is behind Euro 2024 winner Marc Cucurella in Maresca’s pecking order – has been linked with two more Premier League clubs.
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