Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane makes stance clear on Levi Colwill playing FA Cup final after return to line-up in Liverpool draw

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill impressed during his first start since the FIFA Club World Cup in July last year, as the Blues secured a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. The Englishman had missed the majority of the ongoing campaign due to an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury that he sustained in pre-season.

Colwill, who came off the bench in the 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday, was one of five changes interim coach Calum McFarlane made to his line-up at Anfield. The 23-year-old produced a confident display at the heart of the Blues’ defence as they came from behind to grab a crucial point.

The result put an end to Chelsea’s six-game losing run in the Premier League. They will now turn their focus to the FA Cup final against Manchester City next Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after the game at Anfield, McFarlane tipped his hat to Colwill. He labelled the defender as ‘exceptional’ and hailed the talent and quality on display.

McFarlane stated:

“I thought he (Colwill) was exceptional. I thought there were a lot of good performances, but I was really pleased for Levi. To come to a place like Anfield, facing Liverpool away with a team that has not had much form recently really shows his talent, quality and his mentality.”

The coach also added that there is definitely a chance of Colwill being part of the starting line-up to face Manchester City at Wembley. He also revealed that the club remains hopeful of Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto also returning from injuries next weekend.

McFarlane added:

“The Cup Final? Definitely (he has a chance). And we are hopeful that (Alejandro) Garnacho and (Pedro) Neto will be available next week too. We will look to get them back on the training pitch this week and take it day-by-day, so fingers crossed.”

Chelsea are still in ninth in the Premier League table with just two games left. After the FA Cup final, they face Tottenham Hotspur at home and finish the campaign with a trip to Sunderland on the final day of the season.

Levi Colwill reacts to Chelsea return with Instagram post

In the wake of his strong display against Liverpool, Colwill took to Instagram and shared a post to celebrate his return. He captioned it ‘back’ and shared four pictures from the game at Anfield.

Several Chelsea stars were quick to react to the post. Dario Essugo stated that it was like Colwill never left, while Tosin Adarabioyo and Jorrel Hato were also among teammates that celebrated his return.

Colwill be hoping he can convince Thomas Tuchel to pick him in the England squad for the World Cup, if he proves his quality in the last few games.