Chelsea defender Levi Colwill 'doubtful for Liverpool game'

Chelsea are reportedly likely to be without Levi Colwill for Wednesday's Premier League fixture at Liverpool.

In his first full season in the senior ranks at Stamford Bridge, Colwill has been used at left-back on a regular basis, rather than his preferred position of centre-back.

Nevertheless, the academy graduate has accumulated some of the most minutes by a Chelsea outfield player in 2023-24 with 24 starts and three substitute outings coming in all competitions.

Colwill had been in line to make a 24th start last Friday when he was named in the first XI for the FA Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa.

However, the 20-year-old was forced to pull out of the side after aggravating a minor injury in the warm-up, with Alfie Gilchrist drafted in to take his place.

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After the game and with a five-day turnaround before the trip to Merseyside, head coach Mauricio Pochettino suggested that he expected the England international to recover in time for an important encounter at Anfield.

According to the Evening Standard, that may not be the case with Colwill having not participated in training on Monday.

While it is suggested that Colwill may still be considered if he is able to feature on Tuesday, he is a considerable doubt to reclaim a spot in the team for the meeting with the Premier League leaders.

Although Gilchrist was brought into the side as a last-minute replacement against Villa, Colwill's spot would likely go to Ben Chilwell on this occasion.

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Chilwell came through 65 minutes against Middlesbrough on January 23 before remaining as an unused substitute versus Villa as Pochettino looked to give him more time to recover and build up his fitness after a hamstring injury.

With Malo Gusto not featuring with the team on Monday, Pochettino faces the prospect of moving Axel Disasi out to right-back and using Benoit Badiashile alongside Thiago Silva in the middle of the defence.

Christopher Nkunku was a notable returnee to training on Monday, yet the forward will only be considered for a place on the substitutes' bench at best having not featured since the back end of 2023.

Chelsea head into the game against Liverpool - also their opponents in February's EFL Cup final - sitting in ninth position in the Premier League table, three points adrift of the top six.