Enzo Maresca will start to see some of his international Chelsea stars return to training in the coming days, however one academy prospect has been seen working with the first team ahead of their next game.
The Blues will be back in Premier League action with a trip to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, the fixture which secured their place in the Champions League last season.
Maresca will be sweating on the fitness of some key players ahead of the game, with both Reece James and Enzo Fernandez returning early from their international call-ups due to individual injury concerns.
The manager may look to play Facundo Buonanotte after his own excellent record against their upcoming opponents, and he could also reward one of their most promising youth prospects with a first inclusion in the matchday squad.
Chelsea FC Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2
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Ryan Kavuma-McQueen spotted in Chelsea first team training ahead of Nottingham Forest clash
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen has made an electric start to the season for both club and country, with the 16-year-old making headlines when he scored four goals against Germany’s Under 17s in the prior international break.
He has also caught the attention when featuring for the Chelsea Under 21s, even to the point that he has been spotted on the Chelsea website amongst those training ahead of the Forest clash.
Opportunities have certainly been there for academy prospects to make their mark on the first team under Maresca. Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong have been promoted to first team action under the current boss.
The likes of Shumaira Mheuka, Reggie Walsh and Samuel Rak-Sakyi have all made appearances too, with the Blues benefitting from the Conference League fixtures last season.
Germany v England - Men's U17 International
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Kavuma-McQueen commits future to Chelsea
After what happened with Rio Ngumoha’s untimely departure from Stamford Bridge, the Blues will have been concerned that some of their most promising talents didn’t see a pathway to the first team squad.
It looks as if they won’t have to worry about this with the winger, after Kavuma-McQueen signed a new contract with the club over the summer.
It is only a matter of time before the highly-promising youngster gets his chance to feature for the first team, however it feels unlikely that this will be up against Forest.
The Blues are likely to have Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens available for the game, with Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian also providing options out wide.