Pedro Neto hint, Reece James heir – Five things spotted in Chelsea training before Heidenheim

Enzo Maresca has been putting his players through their paces in training ahead of Chelsea's clash against Heidenheim. The German outfit will lock horns with the Blues at the Voith-Arena on Thursday night, with a place at the top of the Conference League up for grabs.

Chelsea enjoyed a 2-1 win over Leicester City at the weekend, meanwhile, Heidenheim suffered a 5-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The home side are six games without a win in the Bundesliga, so the West Londoners will be eager to pile on the misery.

As for Chelsea, they're unbeaten in four Premier League games, so they'll certainly have a skip in their step. That said, football.london have spotted five things in training that you might have missed as the Blues geared up to face Heidenheim.

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Maresca drops Chilwell hint

Ben Chilwell was spotted in training, which – at first glance – would suggest that he could be involved against Heidenheim. However, the left-back, who's fallen out of favour under Maresca, was donning a white bib.

Levi Colwill, who played against Leicester City on Saturday and, therefore, unlikely to do so again on Thursday, was also in a white bib. This could suggest that Chilwell may not be in contention after all. That said, Renato Veiga was always expected to continue his role in the 'Conference League lineup'.

Lavia and Jackson relish key role

Romeo Lavia was the only player to be spotted wearing an orange bib, while everybody else either went without or wore white – except Nicolas Jackson, who donned green. This could suggest that the duo were the designated 'magic men' as part of a larger drill or session.

The 'magic man' is somebody who plays on the team that is in possession during a rondo or small-sided game. By introducing this role, players are encouraged to pass and move while also preparing themselves for transitions and turnovers.

While Jackson isn't necessarily expected to start against Heidenheim, having done so at the weekend, Lavia could anchor the midfield on Thursday evening. The 20-year-old has shown great promise this season, helping Chelsea beat the opposition press and progress possession through the thirds.

Chelsea ace is nowhere to be seen

Pedro Neto appeared absent from training ahead of the Blues' clash in the Conference League. The 24-year-old winger missed Chelsea's 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday afternoon after returning from international duty with a slight knock.

James 'heir' returns to action

Josh Acheampong returned to first-team training having previously been frozen out. The 18-year-old defender, whose deal at Stamford Bridge expires in June 2026, has featured just once for Chelsea this season, appearing in a 5-0 win over Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round in September.

football.london understands that the West London outfit have been looking to resolve Acheampong's contract situation. Chelsea believed they had all but agreed a long-term extension with the teenager, but a deal collapsed.

Despite what has happened, the Blues still want to keep Acheampong at the club for the foreseeable future. football.london understands that Chelsea are keen to hold onto their top academy prospects, having previously lost numerous top graduates in the past.

Youngsters given the chance to impress

In addition to Acheampong, Maresca called up a few members of the under-21s to beef up the group. Tyrique George, Kiano Dyer, Shim Mhueka and Sam Rak-Sakyi were given the chance to impress in the absence of a few first-team players