Ben Chilwell already back at Cobham, getting ready for the season

Ben Chilwell made just 13 appearances last year and only 7 in the Premier League, including the last-minute cameo in the last game, and his absence was keenly felt, especially in the second-half of the season.

Chelsea played our consensus best football in October and November, when Chilwell, and Reece James on the opposite flank, were truly starting to make Thomas Tuchel’s tactics hum at peak efficiency and output.

Chilwell’s ACL injury derailed that run rather cruelly, but fortunately the 25-year-old made a quick and seemingly excellent recover from that major surgery. He returned to training and action well ahead of schedule at the tail end of the campaign, and he’s continuing that trend by turning up at Cobham already to begin preparations for the season, training with, presumably, some of the younger age groups in the Academy. The first-team are expected to start returning next weekend and the week following.

Chilly posted this clip on his Instagram of a wonderful finish from outside the box:

If Chilwell can quickly return to the levels he showed during those two months last season, we confidently set our expectations high for the season ahead.