After starting his first game of the season against Benfica, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Benoît Badiashile came out of the game unscathed and is now in contention to face Liverpool.
With several centre-backs sidelined ahead of Saturday’s showdown at Stamford Bridge against the Premier League champions, Badiashile’s return comes as a significant boost for Enzo Maresca.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Benfica, producing a composed display at the heart of defence.
Badiashile topped the match with ten ball recoveries and looked assured in possession as Chelsea secured a clean sheet against the Portuguese giants.
Maresca praised the 24-year-old’s performance as ‘very, very good’ and, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, underlined Badiashile’s importance to the squad.
‘Since I joined the club, every time I’ve spoken about Benoît, I’ve always said he’s an important player and a very good player,’ the Italian noted.
‘Unfortunately, he’s had a few injuries since I came in, but before the last one, he was playing almost every game at the Club World Cup before picking up a knock against Benfica.
‘Now he’s back, and that’s good news for us, for his teammates and especially for him, because being out for a long time is always a shame.’
Boost
Badiashile expressed his delight after marking his first Chelsea start in three months during Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old, who had been sidelined with a muscle injury sustained at the Club World Cup—also against Benfica—lasted 81 minutes on his return to the starting XI.
It was his second outing since recovery, having featured as a late substitute in last weekend’s defeat to Brighton and is now in line for further involvement as the season progresses.
The focus now shifts to Saturday’s clash with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, and Maresca finds himself battling a lengthy injury list while also managing player fatigue.
With Trevoh Chalobah suspended following his red card against the Seagulls, Maresca will hope to count on Badiashile to play a key role once again, particularly in stopping Alexander Isak, who has netted in his last two visits to Stamford Bridge.
