Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile has made a surprise early return from injury. He stepped off the bench in the 2-0 Premier League win over Burnley just days before the Blues’ Champions League clash with Barcelona.
The French centre-back had been expected to be sidelined until December. However, he played the entire second half at Turf Moor to hand Enzo Maresca an unexpected boost ahead of Tuesday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Badiashile replaced Reece James at half-time in Lancashire, marking his first appearance since his latest muscle setback and adding another option to a Chelsea back line that has been reshaped repeatedly this season. His early comeback, around two weeks ahead of the original prognosis, now puts him in contention for the visit of Barcelona.
This comes as the defender has amassed only four appearances and 192 competitive minutes so far this campaign, leaving Maresca with a significant selection dilemma. Speaking before the October trip to Nottingham Forest, Maresca had underlined the seriousness of Chelsea’s injury problems, stating that Cole Palmer would be “six more weeks out” before adding:
“Benoit will be out until December. He suffers from a muscle problem.”
Badiashile’s appearance at Burnley, therefore, represents an apparent acceleration of his recovery and offers defensive depth at a crucial moment in the Blues’ European campaign.
The Spanish giants arrive in west London in improved form, with their attacking line having rediscovered its cutting edge in recent weeks in both La Liga and the Champions League. Chelsea must weigh the benefits of using Badiashile against the risks of exposing a recently injured defender to one of Europe’s most dangerous forward units.
Cole Palmer remains out of contention for Chelsea
While Badiashile’s return offers good news, Cole Palmer remains unavailable after suffering a fresh setback. The 23-year-old fractured a toe in a domestic accident, stubbing his foot on a door at home just as he was nearing a comeback from a groin injury, and is now ruled out of the upcoming fixtures against Barcelona and Arsenal.
Palmer had already spent much of the season on the sidelines following the groin problem that Maresca previously suggested would keep him out for “six more weeks.” This latest issue has further delayed his return to competitive action.
With no exact recovery date yet confirmed, Chelsea will have to navigate the Premier League and Champions League without one of their most influential attacking players.