Chelsea have been handed a major injury boost ahead of their Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, with a key player returning to training
Chelsea have been handed an injury boost after Levi Colwill was seen back on the pitch at Cobham on Tuesday morning. The centre-back has been absent for the past six months due to a serious knee problem, but he was part of the Blues squad for the opening moments of their session before the Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Since picking up the injury during pre-season, Colwill has not been seen doing any ball work or outdoor sessions, but his appearance outside the gym in early March indicates a full comeback this season, and a possible place in England's World Cup squad is realistic.
That might not surprise Liam Rosenior and his coaching team, however, following the manager's encouraging update on Colwill last month. When questioned about his recovery before the trip to Arsenal, the 41-year-old simply stated: "Levi is doing really well with his long-term rehab."
While his return to light training represented a major positive for Rosenior, one player who remains unavailable is Estevao. The Brazilian is still sidelined due to a hamstring problem, with the Chelsea manager confirming he is being handled with caution.
Before the FA Cup fifth-round victory over Wrexham, he said: "He's back on the [training] pitch, but he's not ready for this one. We need to be really, really careful, given it was a hamstring injury. He just needs to clear a few more markers before we put him back in."
Estevao also missing training on Tuesday has suggested he will be unavailable for the journey to Paris. Whilst Colwill has made progress, there is no possibility of him featuring against PSG, with Jamie Gittens also unlikely to play despite being very close to returning from a hamstring problem.
As for Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella and Reece James, they were all spotted in the session, with the trio having had injury concerns recently and have thus been managed.
Chelsea travel to the Parc des Princes on a high, having reached the FA Cup quarter-finals and beaten top-five opponents Aston Villa in the last week.
The latter result has moved them to within three points of Unai Emery's side and level on points with Liverpool following their loss to Wolves.
Arne Slot's side defeated the bottom-side in the FA Cup a few days later and were handed a nightmare quarter-final tie away to Manchester City. Chelsea, however, got the dream fixture, as they will host League One strugglers Port Vale next month for a place in the final.
The last seven days for PSG have not been as productive, however, with Luis Enrique's side being beaten 3-1 by AS Monaco in Ligue 1 last Friday. However, their complete attention for the forthcoming 10 days is on Chelsea, following the postponement of their domestic fixture against Nantes this weekend.