Ben Chilwell, who has returned to the starting lineup for Chelsea, will be included in the team that plays Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round, according to Enzo Maresca.\

 

The English full-back appeared certain to quit the Blues after four years, and he was demoted to the “bomb squad” in the summer.

Chilwell remained with Chelsea, though, after a deal from Stamford Bridge fell through, and he was welcomed back to first-team practice last week.The former vice captain of the Blues has not played under Maresca this year, but on Tuesday night when Chelsea hosts League Two team Barrow, he may play for the first time along with many other players.

“They [players like Chilwell] are going to be the ones in the squad vs Barrow,” Maresca stated to the press prior to kickoff.

“We’ll watch a few to see if they get started, but if not, they’ll all sit on the bench and hopefully get some playing time.”

Chilwell’s final Chelsea start occurred in a 2-2 away draw at Brentford back in March, during Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure.

Last season, he played in just nine Premier League games under the Argentine during an injury-plagued season in which Chelsea finished sixth.

Even though Chilwell hasn’t been selected for a matchday squad this season, Chelsea’s Premier League squad list, which was filed in early September, featured him.

Maresca stated just a month ago that Chilwell’s future would be better off being away from Stamford Bridge.

“Chilly is here, but he hasn’t been training lately due to illness,” Maresca declared prior to the team’s Premier League loss to Manchester City.

“He did not play [in a pre-season friendly] against Inter because, as much as I appreciate Chilly, it is evident that he is having some difficulty finding the right position.”

But when it became apparent that Chilwell would be with the team until January at the latest, Maresca told the media that Chilwell might still be able to return to Chelsea.