**Chelsea defender Levi Colwill is poised to make his long-awaited return to action.**
The 23-year-old has been sidelined with a long-term knee injury but has recently returned to full training.
And he is expected to feature for the Blues’ Under-21 side in a game on Friday.
“Levi will play some minutes for the Under-21s, which is fantastic for him,” head coach Liam Rosenior said.
“When you have a long-term injury such as the extent of Levi’s injury, you need a long rehab period.”
But Rosenior reiterated that Colwill will not be rushed back to the first team.
He added: “I want to make sure that he’s 100% right in terms of his match fitness before we consider him for selection for our first team. Levi is an outstanding player and a leader in the dressing room.”
### Chalobah ‘very close’ but James still sidelined
Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah is nearing a return to the matchday squad ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
Chalobah has been managing a knock but took part in Thursday’s training session, with a late decision expected on his availability for the weekend.
“Trevoh trained today—not quite fully modified,” Rosenior explained. “We’ll make a decision on him, but he’s very, very close.”
However, the news was less encouraging regarding captain Reece James.
The right-back remains unavailable as he continues his own recovery process, with Rosenior admitting that James is “a little bit further away” than his defensive team-mates.
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