Ben Chilwell has been named on Chelsea's bench for the first time since suffering his ACL injury against Juventus in late 2021.
The defender returned to first team training earlier this week and received an applause led by Thomas Tuchel and his teammates, having trained with Chelsea's academy sides earlier in his rehabilitation. It's uncertain how likely Chilwell is to see a role on the pitch as Thomas Tuchel has preached caution over the England international's return, but his place in the squad is a positive sign in his recovery.
Tuchel noted ahead of the match with Leicester, that Chilwell would return to Cobham earlier than the rest of the first team to ensure he can reach full fitness in the build up to next season. He will be joined by Callum Hudson-Odoi in that endeavour.
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The German coach said: "We are desperate to have him back; he's one of our key players. At the same time, we are very impatient and happy that he is back and are looking forward to it. We are excited.
"At the same time, we have to be patient. It was a big injury, and he was out for a long time. So hopefully, he can reach his level as quickly as possible. He will need pre-season, our patience, and our support. This will start from July onwards."
Kenedy makes a rare start at wing-back against Watford, while the man who has held down the position in Chilwell's absence, Marcos Alonso, is not in Chelsea's squad at all.
