Exiled Chilwell set to return to Chelsea training

Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is set to start training with the first team again after failing to get a move away from the club before the transfer deadline.

The England international, 27, was one of several Blues players frozen out and training seperately but unlike many of the others - including Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku and Trevoh Chalobah - remains at Stamford Bridge.

Clubs must name a Premier League squad containing up to 25 players over the age of 21 by Saturday.

Boss Enzo Maresca has not said whether Chilwell could be included in that.

He has already been left out of the Blues' Europa Conference League squad.

"We will sit with him and find solutions," said Maresca, who only took over this summer.

"The reason why he was training apart is because the idea was for him to leave. We didn't find solutions and he is here.

"He is probably going to start training with us. I saw him this morning and he's OK."

Chilwell, who joined Chelsea for £45m from Leicester in 2020, last played on 20 April in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City at Wembley.

Chelsea's co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are looking to buy each other out amid a rift at board level.

The pair were involved in the 2022 takeover of the club when Russian Roman Abramovich was forced to sell up.

"If I spend my energy on something different then it's not worth it, my focus is on tomorrow's game [against Bournemouth]," said Maresca.

"The other things are things I cannot control. I spoke with Todd when we played Manchester City and Behdad just days ago.

"I'm speaking with both, there's no problems at all. I'm focused on the pitch."

He added: "The players are professional to understand that these things are things we can't control so the focus is the pitch, the way we need to improve."