Liam Rosenior welcomes 'fantastic' Enzo Fernandez back into Chelsea squad for Man Utd clash

Fernandez returns to first-team fold

The Blues have been handed a major boost ahead of their high-stakes encounter with United after Rosenior confirmed that Fernandez is back in contention. The World Cup winner missed the club's recent FA Cup triumph over Port Vale and the previous league outing against Manchester City following an internal suspension for comments made about potentially joining Real Madrid, but he has now rejoined the main group.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the head coach explained: "Enzo has been with the group and has been training very, very well. So, it’s business as usual in terms of selection for the game. Enzo has come back to the group this week, and the group has been fantastic. In terms of his training, his application to training, Enzo has been fantastic as well."

Colwill nears comeback from ACL injury

In addition to the positive news regarding the midfielder, Rosenior provided an encouraging update on Levi Colwill. The 23-year-old defender has been sidelined for the entire campaign so far due to a serious knee ligament injury sustained during pre-season. He will take the next step in his recovery by featuring for the under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Saturday.

"I'm hoping [we'll see Levi before the end of the season] as Levi is an outstanding player and a leader in the dressing room," Rosenior continued. "Levi will play some minutes with the U21s tomorrow, which is fantastic for him. When you have a long-term injury, to the extent of Levi’s injury, you need a long rehab period. I want to make sure he is 100 per cent right in terms of his match fitness before we consider him for our first team. It [the game] has not been set up especially for him, but it's something that we think is right for him in this moment."

Defensive selection dilemmas remain

Rosenior also touched on the situations of injured defenders Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James.

"Trevoh trained today. Not quite fully; it was modified training. We'll make a decision on him, but he's very, very close. Reece is a little bit further away," the manager noted.

Crucial fixtures ahead for Chelsea

Chelsea face a defining period in their domestic campaign. After hosting United on Saturday, they travel to Brighton before a massive FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.