Chelsea's Disasi Returns to First-Team Training

Chelsea's Axel Disasi is set for a gradual return to first-team training after months in exile, as the club looks to reintegrate the French defender amid ongoing transfer plans. The 27-year-old center-back, who had been excluded from manager Enzo Maresca's senior squad since the summer, rejoined the group during the international break following a recent appearance with the club's under-21 team.

Disasi joined Chelsea from Monaco in August 2023 for a reported fee of around 38 million pounds and has since made 61 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals. He featured in the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he played 10 matches, but returned to Stamford Bridge without securing a permanent move. At the start of this season, Maresca informed Disasi that he was not part of the first-team plans, placing him in a group of surplus players known internally as the "bomb squad." This meant training separately from the main group at the club's Cobham facility, alongside winger Raheem Sterling, and limited access to senior amenities.

Despite interest from clubs including West Ham United and Bournemouth, Disasi rejected loan offers in the summer,...