Chelsea have welcomed a senior player back to training ahead of this weekend’s clash with Leicester City.

Chelsea have welcomed a senior star back to training over the course of the international break. The break is now coming to an end, with the majority of nations concluding their fixture lists over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, while England and others are already done until March.

The Blues went into the break in solid form, sitting in third place and looking like solid Champions League qualification contenders. It is a big step forward for Chelsea, especially in Enzo Maresca’s first season, but they will need to remain consistent over the course of the coming months, and through all the usual curve balls of winter, including a stacked fixture list and almost inevitable injuries.

Chelsea have had good luck with injuries up to now, at least beyond Reece James missing the opening stages of the season, and they will be hoping that continues throughout the season.

There have been some short absences, though, and winger Jadon Sancho missed action before the break, with Maresca reasoning: “He is recovering from [illness]. He had a knock in the session. He is out for tomorrow, and we will see if he is available [this weekend] or after the international break.”

The good news for Chelsea is that Sancho is now back in training, with images surfacing of the England international on the grass with his teammates at Cobham. That would suggest Sancho is back in contention to be selected this weekend against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Though, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto are likely to remain the first choice wingers for Maresca.

Sancho has produced some positive performances since arriving from Manchester United on a loan deal that will eventually become permanent. "Jadon has done well since he arrived with us," Maresca said in late October. Asked about why Sancho hasn’t been a starter of late, he added: "For sure, players can’t maintain the same level the whole season because the amount of games is huge.

“So, in the last two games, he didn't play, not for any different reason, just for a technical decision, a tactical decision. No more than that. For sure, because of the amount of games, he's going to play many games. The only thing he has to do is continue to work hard and when we give him a chance, to just take it."

When joining Chelsea, Sancho spoke about how Maresca’s wing-focused play suits him, telling the club website: “I enjoy his style of play. The wingers when they get on the ball, he loves them to go one versus one and be direct. We play a lot of one-twos with the 10s and the striker combination plays. It’s very attractive and it’s a style that I play.”