The 24-year-old centre-back has returned to light training at Cobham as he continues his comeback from a muscular problem that sidelined him for much of the autumn. Head coach Enzo Maresca had already hinted earlier this month that Badiashile was close to returning, describing the news as "huge" for the squad.

Recent reports suggest that Badiashile has resumed outdoor work but is still training individually and not yet in full sessions with the main group, with a potential return to the squad against Burnley on the horizon.

Badiashile has endured a difficult campaign so far, limited to just three appearances in September and October before suffering his latest setback. His absence has been keenly felt, particularly following Levi Colwill's season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in August.

Like Colwill, Badiashile is one of Chelsea's few natural left-footed centre-backs. The only other in the squad is 19-year-old Jorrel Hato, who joined from Ajax in the summer for around 37 million pounds.

Maresca has rotated his defensive options throughout the campaign, often switching pairings between matches to manage fitness and maintain balance across multiple competitions.

Before his injury, Badiashile impressed in his last two starts, a 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica on 30 September and a dramatic 2-1 Premier League win against Liverpool on 4 October, where he showed composure and defensive discipline that Chelsea have since struggled to replicate consistently.

Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong are both away on international duty with England's senior and Under-21 teams respectively, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Hato and Wesley Fofana have remained at Cobham to continue their training programmes.

Badiashile's return to full fitness would provide a significant boost for Maresca's side as they look to stabilise their defence and push for a stronger run of results after the international break.

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