Liam Rosenior has delivered a major boost to Chelsea fans by admitting he is “hopeful” Levi Colwill will play for the club before the end of the current season as the young defender continues his recovery from a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The 22-year-old centre-back suffered the ACL injury in August last year during his very first training session back at Cobham following Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph in the United States. Colwill has made significant progress in recent weeks, with the England international spotted running on the grass at the club’s training base as he edges closer to a return.
Chelsea are taking no risks with the highly-rated academy graduate and will not rush him back until he is 100 per cent fit and ready for first-team action. While Rosenior was reluctant to put a specific timeframe on Colwill’s comeback, the interim head coach left supporters with genuine optimism.
“I’m hopeful,” Rosenior said. “I’m hopeful because he’s an outstanding player. Again, no time frames. You have to take these long-term injuries day by day. And also, it’s not about when he comes back, it’s about him staying fit when he is back.”
Colwill remains a central figure in Chelsea’s long-term plans at Stamford Bridge, with football.london understanding he is extremely highly rated internally despite the club’s interest in signing another centre-back during the January window. The Blues are expected to pursue defensive reinforcements again in the summer, but any new arrival must complement the left-footed Cobham product rather than replace him.
In Colwill’s absence, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah have formed an impressive partnership at the heart of defence. However, there is a strong feeling within the squad and coaching staff that the addition of Colwill’s left-footed profile would bring valuable balance to the backline.
The defender himself is desperate to return to action as soon as possible, especially with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon. However, having played no competitive football at all this season, it is considered highly unlikely that Thomas Tuchel will select him for England duty in the near future.
On the wider injury front, Marc Cucurella has been ruled out of this afternoon’s Premier League clash against Burnley because of a hamstring problem. Rosenior was again unable to give a clear timeline for the Spain international’s return, confirming only that he will miss the Stamford Bridge fixture.
Positive news elsewhere sees Reece James and Cole Palmer both back in training this week and expected to be included in the squad for the visit of the Clarets. Both players have been managing fitness issues recently, but they are now set to feature as Chelsea look to climb back into the top four with a positive result against the Premier League’s 19th-placed side this afternoon.