Hudson-Odoi, James to Return to Action in Chelsea Youth Game

Chelsea duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James are set to step up their returns from injury on Friday in the club’s Under-23s match against Brighton.

The pair are very much in Frank Lampard’s first-team plans this season, and they are set to boost the Blues’ squad ahead of a busy month of September where the Champions League and Carabao Cup both begin.

Hudson-Odoi has been out with a ruptured Achilles tendon since late April, with his return coming quicker than many expected after less than five months spent on the sidelines.

The 18-year-old will sign a new £180,000-a-week contract in the coming days to accompany his return, allowing the Blues to ward off interest from Bayern Munich.

James, meanwhile, has returned from a stand out loan spell at Wigan Athletic where he won the Championship club’s Player of the Season and earned a place in the EFL Team of the Year.

The 19-year-old was due to join the Chelsea squad during pre-season but suffered an ankle ligament injury while representing England in the Toulon Tournament which required surgery.