Petr Cech is poised to make a sensational return to action when Chelsea's development squad lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League 2 at Kingsmeadow on Monday.
That is according to a report by The Athletic, who insist Cech will play because Chelsea don't want regular under-23s goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom playing twice in 48 hours after turning out for the under-18s on Saturday.
In truth, with Bergstrom not set to be risked, the Blues could field fellow young goalkeeper Karlo Ziger, 19, between the sticks. However, with the Croatian, who is currently part of the first-team fold at Stamford Bridge, within the first-team bubble due to coronavirus rulings, Chelsea do not want to run the risk of Ziger mixing between the two squads and facing a further test for Covid-19 next week.
With that said, Chelsea consider Ziger above Cech in the senior goalkeeper pecking order, with the former Czech Republic international having been registered as emergency cover in the club's Premier League squad list in October.
However, it is currently unclear why French goalkeeper Sami Tlemcani, who sealed a move to west London from Paris FC back in October, has not been called upon to play in one of the two matches Chelsea's youngsters are playing over these few days.
As well as that, it is also reported that Chelsea believe it would be beneficial for Cech, who played a key role in helping the club sign Edouard Mendy during the summer, to experience the feeling of playing again if he was ever needed to step into the first-team fold at any point this season.
It is also reported that Neil Bath, Chelsea's head of youth development, is understood to be the person behind the club's decision to hand Cech an appearance against Spurs' youngsters.
Cech has been regularly training with the Chelsea first-team squad since September, although he has never featured in a training game, with Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero all ahead of him in the pecking order.
Should Cech start against Spurs' youngsters on Monday, it will be the first time he has donned a Chelsea shirt since his farewell appearance for the club in May 2015, helping the Blues defeat Sunderland 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
His last action of any sort, of course, came in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final, starting for Arsenal as they were beaten 4-1 by the Blues in Baku.
