Chelsea make Benoit Badiashile decision for USA tour amid injury issue

The latest on Benoit Badiashile's recovery from his hamstring injury with the Frenchman set to say at Cobham while his teammates jet off to America for their pre-season tour

Benoit Badiashile will remain in England while his Chelsea teammates travel to America for pre-season, football.london has learned.

The 22-year-old defender suffered a serious hamstring injury towards the end of the season and he is still working on his recovery. Badiashile is targeting the start of the new campaign for when he returns to action as he continues to do gym work behind the scenes to ensure just that.

The former AS Monaco centre-back, who was brought in over the January transfer window, will remain at Cobham when his teammates are across the Atlantic to continue his recovery work. Badiashile showed glimpses of his undeniable talent in the few months between when he signed for Chelsea and the end of the season.

Badiashile featured 11 times for the Blues in the Premier League, scoring one goal – away at Bournemouth – in the process. Being a left-sided centre-back, though, Badiashile is expected to face some serious competition next season from the returning Levi Colwill.

Colwill massively impressed on loan at Brighton last term and is now set to join up with the rest of the Chelsea squad, minus Badiashile, in the United States for the club's pre-season tour. Liverpool are very interested in signing Colwill this summer but Chelsea are adamant they will not sell the 20-year-old.

The England Under-21s international, who flourished in their recent European Championship triumph, wants assurances over his role in the Chelsea squad next season. Colwill and Mauricio Pochettino are set to hold face-to-face talks in the coming days over just that before