Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Ben Chilwell will be in Chelsea’s squad to face Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round after returning to the first-team set-up.
The English full-back was banished to the ‘bomb squad’ in the summer as he looked set to leave the Blues after four years at the club.
However, after a move from Stamford Bridge failed to materialise, Chilwell stayed with Chelsea and was invited to return to first-team training last week.
The former Blues vice-captain is yet to feature under Maresca this season but could get his first minutes of the season, among a host of others, when Chelsea host League Two side Barrow on Tuesday night.
‘They [players such as Chilwell] are going to be the ones who will be in the squad vs Barrow,’ Maresca told the media in his pre-match press conference.
Ben Chilwell is set to feature against League Two Barrow in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night
Enzo Maresca confirmed to the media that many outcasts may play against the Bluebirds
Chilwell was allowed to return to first-team training last week after being previously exiled
Chilwell and Enzo Maresca have seemingly put their issues behind them as they joked around
‘Some we will see if they start, but if not they will all be on the bench and hopefully we can give them some minutes.’
Chilwell’s last start for Chelsea came way back in March under Mauricio Pochettino in a 2-2 draw away at Brentford.
He only made nine Premier League starts under the Argentine last season in an injury-hit campaign in which Chelsea finished sixth.
And while he has yet to be chosen in a matchday squad this season, Chilwell was included in Chelsea’s Premier League squad list, submitted in early September.
Only last month, Maresca revealed that it would be better for Chilwell’s future to lie away from Stamford Bridge.
‘Chilly is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill,’ Maresca said ahead of the club’s Premier League defeat to Manchester City.
‘The reason he did not play [in a pre-season friendly] versus Inter was because, with Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position.’
However, as it became clear that Chilwell would remain at the club until January at the earliest, Maresca revealed to the press that Chilwell may yet revive his Chelsea career.
Chilwell’s last start fro Chelsea came back in March against Brentford in the Premier League
‘Ben now is the only one [of the exiled group] still here so probably now we’ll sit with him and find a solution,’ Maresca said in the build-up to their win over West Ham.
‘The reason he is training apart is because the idea was for him to leave. But because we didn’t find any solution, he’s here and probably he’s going to start to train with us. We need to decide that. If we decide that, he will be one of our players.’
Chelsea have won their last two matches on the trot as confidence builds under the Italian coach, with Marc Cucurella trusted to take on the role at left-back.