Photo: Ardfern / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
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Levi Colwill is looking to rebuild his season after missing almost the entirety of last campaign through injury and being left out of England's World Cup squad. The Chelsea defender is using the club's pre-season tour of Australia as his launchpad.
Colwill is set to feature in Tuesday's friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers, Xabi Alonso's first match in charge of Chelsea since taking over as manager. The game is available to stream live on CFC+.
"The spirit is good, it's really positive," Colwill said from the squad's base in Sydney. "For us to be able to spend this time together as a squad, and really connect is so important. We're also able to be on the pitch every day and work hard."
The defender said the extended time together on tour was helping the group build cohesion ahead of the new season. "I actually think it's a blessing in disguise and it helps us a lot, it creates those strong bonds and I feel like we're going to be in a good position to be ready for this season," he added.
Cole Palmer is another Chelsea player seeking to make up for lost time, having also endured an injury-disrupted season and missing Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad. Colwill was clear about Palmer's importance to the side despite the setbacks.
"Listen, we all know how good Cole is, and we see it every single day," Colwill said. "Of course, last year was a difficult season for him with injuries, but we've never taken away the belief of how good he is. He's a huge player for us and he can turn it on whenever he wants."