Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has opened the door for Ben Chilwell to make a return to the first-team fold after previously placing him in his ‘bomb squad’.
The left-back was among a number of high-profile players who were excluded from first-team training by the Chelsea manager over the summer.
Maresca previously told the media that it would be beneficial for Chilwell to leave the club in order to find playing time, due to Chelsea’s crowded squad.
Chilwell did not find a new club and in fact played his first minutes of the season, as he came off the bench in their 5-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barrow mid-week.
Ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Brighton on Saturday, Maresca admitted to reporters that the Blues now ‘need him’.
Ben Chilwell has been given a lifeline at Chelsea despite prior uncertainty over his future
Enzo Maresca conceded he might have made an error in placing Chilwell in his ‘bomb squad’
Chilwell played his first minutes of the season off the bench against Barrow on Tuesday
He said: ‘Yes, in the moment we need him, why not? I said already many times and I will say again that, as long as Chilly is with us, he is a Chelsea player. And if we need him, we give him a chance and minutes.’
When he was asked if he felt he had made a mistake when telling Chilwell to find a new club, Maresca conceded that he had potentially made an error.
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He added: ‘We all make mistakes. Probably yes; probably no. I am here to take decisions. Sometimes they are good decisions and sometimes they are not good.
The defender has notched up over 100 appearances for Chelsea since his arrival from Leicester in 2020 for £50m.
Maresca’s comments come despite Chilwell being left out of his squad for the Conference League.
Chilwell was given a loud ovation from Chelsea fans when he was introduced against Barrow.
He thanked fans on social media after the match, writing: ‘Missed nights at the Bridge in front of you guys,’ complete with a blue heart emoji.
Chilwell fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge after the arrival of Marc Cucurella in 2022.
Chilwell will hope to win a regular starting place in Maresca’s starting XI going forward
He was sidelined by injury last season, making 21 appearances in all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca told reporters before the season opener against Manchester City: ‘It’s quite clear, I love the way he is but the problem is that he struggles with us a little bit to find his best position.
‘This morning we had 22 players training, and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday but that is impossible.
‘When they train every day and do not get any minutes, it is not good for them or for me, [as] I need to make a decision. It is probably better to leave and get minutes [elsewhere]. The transfer window is open so we’ll see what happens.’
While the likes of other ‘bomb squad’ members such as Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher found new clubs, Chilwell will have to wait until the January window if he is to leave.
