By KIERAN GILL, MAIL SPORT REPORTER
Published: 09:35 EDT, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 09:35 EDT, 16 April 2026
Levi Colwill will feature for Chelsea’s Under 21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday – in what will be the 23-year-old Englishman’s first appearance of the season after suffering an ACL injury.
Colwill suffered the blow on his very first day back in pre-season training in August and had to undergo surgery. Without him, Chelsea are now struggling to the chase for Champions League football, and have six Premier League games to finish inside the top five.
After returning to first-team training last month, Colwill will now get some minutes in a Under-21s match, with Liam Rosenior hoping he can get to use him before the season’s end.
‘Levi will play some minutes for the Under-21s tomorrow, which is fantastic for him,’ Rosenior said. ‘When you have a long-term injury, such as the extent of Levi's injury, you need a long rehab period. I want to make sure that he's 100 per cent right in terms of his match fitness before we consider him for selection for our first team.
‘It (the friendly) has not been set up especially for him, but it's something that we think is right for him in this moment, that's come about in this moment for him.’
Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez is available for selection for the first team versus Manchester United on Saturday, after he returned to training following his in-house two-game suspension.
The Argentinian was handed his ban after openly flirting with Real Madrid. Trevoh Chalobah is likewise close to a comeback from injury, but Reece James is not yet ready.
Levi Colwill will feature for Chelsea’s Under 21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday
Manager Liam Rosenior insists his focus is solely on Saturday's clash with Man United as Chelsea fans prepare to protest against their BlueCo owners ahead of the match
Rosenior added Chelsea are ‘running out of time’ to get the points they need to qualify for the Champions League. ‘As the season goes on, the less games you have left, the more important the games become,’ he said. ‘We have to take advantage of this moment.
‘We're running out of time. We need to show that initiative on Saturday evening and we need to play on the front foot and we need to make up those points, which is still definitely possible.’
There is a protest planned for Saturday against Chelsea's BlueCo owners which will take place outside of Stamford Bridge and involve both Blues fans and supporters of Strasbourg, who share the same owners, who are flying in from France.
‘I respect any fan's points of view, but that's not my focus,’ Rosenior said. ‘My focus is on winning the game on Saturday.
‘The noise is not anything that you can control. What you can control is your group in terms of our spirit, which I don't think has ever been in question. I don't think there's been a lack of effort, especially the game against Manchester City (a 3-0 loss last Saturday).
'The team are together, we're united, we know we all want to be successful together. That's not a question for the moment.’