Chelsea reveal return date for £35m injured star who missed pre-season

Chelsea centre back Benoit Badiashile suffered a hamstring injury towards the business end of the season, missing the final three games. With Chelsea’s Premier League campaign set to begin on 13th August against Liverpool, CFC have now set a return date for Badiashile.

Towards the culminating stages of the 2022-23 Premier League season, CFC were dealt with the injury blow of Badiashile that would affect the initial plans of incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Frenchman missed the final three games and was expected to be out for three to four months.

Badiashile arrived in January from AS Monaco for £35 million and instantly became a regular part of the backline. His partnership with Thiago Silva brought security to the rearguard. When Badiashile played for CFC, the Blues only lost two Premier League games out of 11. In less than six months he had quashed all doubts through his performances and showcased that he was not a player who needed time to adapt but had already adapted and was flourishing in the Premier League.

Chelsea centre back Benoit Badiashile return date revealed

The hamstring injury to one of the best players in the second half of the season did deliver a blow to CFC. The player has missed Chelsea’s pre-season tour to the United States of America as Pochettino takes charge of his first pre-season. Unfortunately, the Argentine manager will have to wait a little longer to assess Badiashile and evaluate how does the 22 year old fit in his plans.

With the recent ACL rupture of Wesley Fofana, Chelsea have been delivered a huge blow. The former Leicester City centre back is out for almost the entirety of the 2023-24 season, posing questions over Pochettino’s preferred centre back pairing. With Badiashile also out for the start of the season, CFC have three options in central defence in Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill. Malang Sarr does remain a part of the squad but he is likely to be offloaded this summer.

However, there has been some optimism in Badiashile’s road to recovery. According to journalist Nathan Gissing, the Frenchman’s recovery is going faster than expected. With Badiashile being ahead of schedule in his recovery, Chelsea have set a target return date for 26th August, when CFC play Luton Town during the third match day of the Premier League.

Badiashile’s potential return ahead of schedule is an encouraging sign. The Frenchman could be an important part of Pochettino’s system as his ball playing abilities could help the Blues in the buildup phase. Badishile being a left footed centre back is a huge plus and his early return will delight Pochettino.

Will Benoit Badiashile be a starter under Pochettino?