Enzo Maresca could be about to receive a major injury boost ahead of some important fixtures for Chelsea.
Maresca has been without several first-team players, including the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile.
His side have some big games coming up, taking on Copenhagen in the last 16 of the Conference League on Thursday and Arsenal later in the month.
And he could have one of his injured players available again for those fixtures. Midway through last month, Maresca gave an injury update on Jackson, Lavia, Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and more. Fofana has since recovered from his hamstring problem.
Benoit Badiashile seen in group training
Like Fofana, Badiashile has also been suffering with a hamstring injury. The central defender has not played since Chelsea’s 4-3 win against Tottenham Hotspur in December.
In early February, it was claimed that Badiashile was close to making a return, but the 23-year-old ended up missing all of Chelsea’s fixtures that month.
However, Chelsea’s official website has just posted a picture of Badiashile in first-team training, suggesting that he could be available for selection again soon.
The Frenchman will want to be involved in the Blues’ European tie against Copenhagen, but if that has come too soon for him, then he could make his comeback in his side’s Premier League fixture versus Leicester City on Sunday.
With Leicester in dire form right now, it is a game that Chelsea will be expected to win regardless of who starts in central defence.
Chelsea are a more successful side with Fofana in the team, and he will be hoping to start against his former club after returning from his own injury.
Tottenham tried to sign Benoit Badiashile during January transfer window
With Badiashile in first-team training again, the France international should be available for Chelsea’s London derby against Tottenham next month.
Spurs were actually interested in signing him during the January transfer window as Ange Postecoglou searched for defensive reinforcements.
It is thought that Tottenham made an attempt to sign Badiashile but ultimately failed, with the north London club eventually going on to recruit Kevin Danso from Lens.
Badiashile has not always been able to showcase his ability at Stamford Bridge, but he was highly rated at AS Monaco.
“Everybody knew Benoit because he was Loic’s brother,” former Monaco assistant manager Nelson Caldeira told Sky Sports in 2023 when discussing Badiashile and his older sibling Loic. “Afterwards, we realised that Benoit also had tremendous talent. In fact, he was the most talented player of that Monaco generation.”
Closing in on a return to first-team action, Chelsea fans will be hoping that they see that tremendous talent soon.