Levi Colwill, a Chelsea defender, has been seen training with his teammates at Cobham again. This is more good news that the England international is getting closer to coming back from a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 23-year-old hasn’t played since tearing his ACL on the first day of pre-season training in August. He hasn’t played in a competitive game all season.
Last season, Colwill was a key player for Chelsea. He played in 43 games in all competitions, and the Blues finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Conference League and Club World Cup. He scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the last day of the 2024–25 season, which sent Chelsea back to the Champions League. Stamford Bridge have really missed him this term, and it has been a frustrating time for the academy graduate.
Liam Rosenior recently gave a cautiously optimistic update on Colwill’s recovery, but he didn’t say when he would be back:
“With an ACL [recovery], he is hitting all the benchmarks he needs to, but we need to keep making sure he is going past certain levels. It’s brilliant to have his presence back on the training pitch, and while we want to see him back out there on the pitch as soon as possible, it has to be within the right timeframe.”
Chelsea’s defence has been inconsistent since Colwill left before the season started. Under Rosenior, the Blues have only kept three clean sheets in 11 league games. Chelsea are currently in sixth place in the Premier League with 48 points from 30 games, having conceded 35 goals. Without the left-footed centre-back holding it down, the back line just hasn’t looked as solid.
Could Colwill’s Return Help His Chances Of Playing For England In The 2026 World Cup?
Colwill’s recovery is important not only for Chelsea’s chances of making the top four, but also for his country. His return could improve his chances of being picked for Thomas Tuchel’s England team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Currently, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, and Dan Burn make up Tuchel’s main group of centre-backs, with Colwill among the players who are effectively on standby behind them. The ACL injury has made it very unlikely that he will make the squad, but if he plays in a few more competitive games for Chelsea, it could help him prove to the England manager that he is fit. Time is running out, but things are looking better and better for both the Stamford Bridge fans and the Three Lions.