Ben Chilwell wastes little time sending message to Chelsea fans after making Stamford Bridge return in Carabao Cup victory over Barrow

Chilwell made his first appearance for Chelsea on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup win over Barrow at Stamford Bridge. The defender started the game on the bench but replaced Malo Gusto at half-time as Enzo Maresca's side cruised to a 5-0 victory. Chilwell took to social media straight after the match to send a message to fans and delight in his comeback. He wrote on social media: "Missed nights at the Bridge in front of you guys 💙"

Chilwell's Chelsea career looked to be over in the summer when Maresca told the defender it would be better for him to leave the club. The 27-year-old was linked with Manchester United and Fenerbahce but failed to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge. He has since returned to training at Chelsea and made his comeback in a comfortable win for the Blues.

Maresca spoke about Chilwell after the game and was pleased with his performance. He told reporters: "Very good. It was not easy for Chilly. He didn't get any minutes this season but he has shown he is there, he is ready and working well. There is not any problem. If we have a chance, we will give him some more minutes in games."

Chilwell will be hoping for more minutes as the season progress but faces competition for his place from Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill and Ramon Veiga. Chelsea's next match is against Brighton on Saturday in the Premier League.