Ben Chilwell is one of FOUR Chelsea stars selected for their Premier League 2 clash with Fulham

Ben Chilwell has been named in a Premier League 2 Chelsea XI to face Fulham at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday evening, alongside three of his senior team-mates.

Chilwell will be joined by fellow defenders Ethan Ampadu and Trevoh Chalobah and midfield summer signing Carney Chukwuemeka in facing Fulham’s development squad as he continues to find fitness following a long injury lay off.

Tuchel has previously claimed that his left-back is not yet ready for the intensity of the Premier League, and his place in the starting line-up has been usurped temporarily by Marc Cucurella. 

Ben Chilwell was named in a Premier League 2 XI to face Fulham alongside three senior stars

Defensive team-mate Trevoh Chalobah will also feature despite having impressed last season

Thomas Tuchel does not believe Chilwell is ready for the Premier League

Tuchel told SkySports: ‘He is a very intelligent player, he does good choices, very safe on the ball and playing through the lines, very calm.

‘I have a feeling that he has a bit more feeling for the rhythm and intensity of matches than Ben at the moment.

‘We keep Ben Chilwell for substitutions because he is a high-speed runner, an intense runner.

‘But after his long injury I think he lacks a little bit of rhythm and feeling for the matches. That’s why we go for Cucu today.’

And although the German manager revealed he is not interested in actively selling any of his players, he admitted no player’s position is safe at Stamford Bridge and he has demanded his fringe players to work harder to break back into the field. 

Among those are Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, all of whom have been linked with moves to Newcastle. 

Carney Chukwuemeka are also in the team with both yet to feature for the seniors this season

Callum Hudson-Odoi was part of Chelsea’s pre-season trip to America this summer

Hudson-Odoi was an unused substitute in Sunday’s fiery draw with Tottenham after missing out entirely on the match day squad for the Blues’ opener against Everton, and was due to join his senior team-mates at Kingsmeadow but is now reportedly finalising a loan move. 

As well as a switch to the Magpies, the England international has been linked with moves to Leicester and Borussia Dortmund this summer as he looks to find minutes elsewhere. 

But Tuchel believes the arrival of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City can have a positive influence on Hudson-Odoi, saying: ‘It is a very, very normal situation and development at the moment that after some fantastic training sessions in the beginning, there is a little dip in his form and freshness which he suffers.

‘Callum is the same.He had a long-term injury and long-term problems to overcome. 

The talented winger has been targeting a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer

‘That’s where he suffered from. I think he still has a way to go to live up to his potential.

‘His potential is huge. I think having Raheem in can give him an extra boost to step up and see what’s needed in these kinds of positions to reach the levels he can honestly reach. 

‘But at the moment, he is our player and he needs to fight, fight, fight. I have nothing more to say.’