Chelsea outcast set for shock return to first-team but still won't play

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Axel Disasi has been sidelined by Chelsea this season but made a rare appearance in Blues colours this week with the Under-21s and could yet turn out for the first team again despite that looking impossible in recent months. The French defender ended last season on loan at Aston Villa but was unable to secure a permanent summer exit despite being surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.

The former Monaco star joined for £38.5million in the summer of 2023 and played 44 times in all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino . He found opportunities harder to come by under Enzo Maresca, though, and wasn't included in the Italian's 25-man Premier League squad.

Now, though, he is set to be reintegrated into the Blues' first team set-up. According to Sky Sports , the 27-year-old has impressed the club with his attitude and has now trained with the senior side as he nears a return to action.

Things are complicated by the fact that - until January at least - Disasi cannot play for Maresca's team in the league. It's a different story in other competitions, though, and he could find himself in contention when the Blues face Cardiff City in their Carabao Cup quarter-final in December.

Disasi had been training away from the first team and hadn't played a single minute since returning from his loan. However, he was given a run-out for the Under-21s as one of their permitted overage players in a Premier League 2 match against Reading earlier this month.

He started at centre-back and wore the captain's armband in a 4-1 victory , with Shim Mheuka scoring twice. There was also a cameo from the bench for another of Chelsea's forgotten men, Brazilian striker Deivid Washington, who returned from a loan spell at Santos in September.

Chelsea's reintegration of Disasi comes amid a growing injury list. Levi Colwill is expected to miss the entire season after undergoing ACL surgery, while fellow centre-back Benoit Badiashile has been restricted to just three appearances so far this term.

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"Benoit will be out until December,' Maresca said in mid-October. Badiashile had made his first league start of the season against Liverpool , only to be withdrawn through injury before the hour mark. "He is injured again with a muscle problem," the manager added. "He was doing fantastic, showing how good he is, and how we need him. So we will wait for him."

Romeo Lavia is another player on the injury list, with the midfielder forced off early against Qarabag in the Champions League . His absence could end up seeing Reece James deployed in a midfield role, meaning Disasi's ability to play at right-back could come in handy.

Chelsea are due to return to action on November 22, taking on Burnley in the Premier League. They will host Barcelona in the Champions League three days after that, before welcoming league leaders Arsenal to Stamford Bridge.