Thiago Silva has returned to first-team training ahead of Chelsea's vital Champions League clash against holders Real Madrid.
The first leg of the quarter-final tie takes place in the Spanish capital on Wednesday. As Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and do not have a realistic chance of finishing in the top four, they must win the Champions League to qualify for next season's tournament.
Blues chair Todd Boehly is hoping caretaker manager Frank Lampard, who was recently reappointed, can pull of a miracle by lifting the European Cup. If they beat Real, Chelsea will face the winners of Bayern Munich's tie with Manchester City in the semi-finals.
Lampard's first game in charge since his reappointment was a dour 1-0 defeat at Wolves on Saturday. Yet news of Silva's return will put a smile on the faces of Chelsea supporters. The 38-year-old is arguably the team's best defender, despite his advancing years.
Silva has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during their 2-0 loss at Tottenham in February. He was pictured training with his struggling Chelsea team-mates on Monday, although it is unclear whether he will be fit enough to start Wednesday's game.
Mason Mount was also spotted in training on Monday after missing the Wolves game with a hip injury. Cesar Azpilicueta was not spotted, but he is close to making a comeback after suffering a head injury during the 1-0 home loss to Southampton in February.
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N'Golo Kante was left out of Chelsea's squad for the loss to Wolves, as Lampard tried to manage the Frenchman's workload. Kante has missed a large chunk of the campaign with a serious hamstring injury, but he is expected to feature in Madrid on Wednesday.
Lampard will provide more information on the conditions of Silva, Mount and Azpilicueta when he speaks to the press on Tuesday. Speaking after the loss to Wolves, Lampard said, "Kante is a managing his fitness. Azpi is nearly fit, needs a little bit of fitness.
"Mason had a feeling in his pelvic area, the injury he has been carrying. [Reserve goalkeeper Marcus] Bettinelli has a small problem."
Silva has played 109 times for Chelsea since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer during the summer of 2020, helping them win the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup. His contract does not expire until next June.
"I'm living this moment very much, I'm trying to enjoy it a lot, you know," Silva told Chelsea's website when asked about retirement in February.
"However, we need to think about a post-career plan now. I've already started thinking about that, I've already started the CBF [the Brazilian FA] coaching licence... Of course, I don't want to finish my career this year or next year. Let's see what happens in the future, maybe I become a coach or get involved in football, which is something I love."
