Benoit Badiashile is nearing his return from injury for Chelsea with the defender now doing some work with his teammates at the club’s training base in Cobham.
The 23-year-old has not played for the Blues since the 4-3 win away at Tottenham on December 8 because of a hamstring injury. Enzo Maresca has had to make do without Badiashile, as well as Wesley Fofana, who suffered a similar problem seven days before. While Fofana returned to the squad for Tuesday’s victory over Southampton, his French countryman is also nearing his comeback.
Badiashile posted a story on his official Instagram page on Friday where he shared some images of him taking part in some training drills in Cobham. The Frenchman was beginning to grow into form under Maresca after a shaky start to the season for the centre-back.
Since Badiashile last featured for the west Londoners, the club recalled Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell with Crystal Palace. When the former AS Monaco defender, who was brought into Chelsea in 2023 with co-sporting director Laurence Stewart understood to be instrumental in the deal, does return to action, Chelsea are well stocked when it comes to centre-back options.
Chalobah, who is set to return to the squad in the coming days following a minor knock he suffered in the defeat to Aston Villa, will join Fofana, Badiashile, Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo as the club’s first team centre-backs. Not to mention Josh Acheampong, who was called upon during the Blues’ injury crisis.
Acheampong has impressed whenever Maresca has selected him but with Badiashile’s return looking imminent, it pushes the 18-year-old further down the pecking order. The teenager, along with Tyrique George, were given their own places in the first team dressing room earlier in the season in a move from the club to show how well the academy players have been doing. Acheampong is very highly rated at Chelsea – and that showed with all the fuss over him signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
He did end up putting pen-to-paper on a deal that runs all the way until 2029 but his immediate future is uncertain. A loan move could potentially be on the cards for Acheampong for the 2025/26 campaign with the possibility of the Blues recruiting another centre-back over the summer as well.
It may make the most sense for Acheampong, who is still playing the odd game for the Development Squad despite officially being a senior player now. A loan to another Premier League side where he is guaranteed game time would be the ideal option for Chelsea and for the defender himself but they are difficult to come by usually.
Also, there is always the handy option of Strasbourg, who are also owned by BlueCo, for Chelsea to loan a player to. Either way, the summer could see Acheampong be pushed even further down the pecking order at the Bridge with Chelsea very well stocked right now in the central defender department.
