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Chelsea dealt Benoit Badiashile injury blow as Levi Colwill handed boost ahead of imminent Mauricio Pochettino arrival

Chelsea have been dealt an injury blow as Benoit Badiashile is set to miss the start of the next season due to a groin injury.

Badiashile out with a groin injury
Will miss start of new season
Levi Colwill set to return from loan spell

WHAT HAPPENED? Badiashile missed Sunday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester City at Etihad Stadium after picking up the injury in training. The 22-year-old is now set to undergo surgery on Monday that may keep him out of action for up to four months, according to Evening Standard.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: This means that new manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose arrival at the club will be announced soon, will miss the services of Badiashile during pre-season. But there is good news for the Argentine, as defender Levi Colwill is set to return to the Blues next season after an impressive loan spell at Brighton. The Frenchman's unfortunate injury should provide Colwill with more game time, given that both are left-sided centre-backs and question marks had been raised over their compatibility in the same line-up.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Badiashile moved to Chelsea from Monaco for a transfer fee of £35million during the January transfer window. While the Frenchman was not included in Chelsea's Champions League squad for the knockout stage, he appeared in 11 Premier League games in the last five months and scored once.

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