Levi Colwill has committed his long-term future to Chelsea by signing a new six-year deal but despite this, manager Mauricio Pochettino has stated that the youngster is not guaranteed to start in his team ahead of the new season.
Colwill has been tipped for a bright future by the Argentine coach and many more, with his expected playing opportunities said to be a factor in his willingness to commit to the West London club long-term.
Ahead of the opening game of the Premier League season, his prospects of game time appear good with fellow left-footed centre-back Benoit Badiashile recovering from a serious hamstring injury.
This opportunity could provide Colwill with the chance to cement his position in the team for the rest of the season but according to Pochettino, there are no guarantees the 20-year-old will start the season in Chelsea‘s defence as the Blues boss has challenged him to prove his readiness to play.
Speaking about Colwill at a press conference during pre-season, Pochettino said via the Daily Mail: “We assume he is going to play. I was clear with him, we were talking about him having the possibility to compete with different team-mates.
“If he deserves to play, he will play.
“The possibility to play is higher because Ben Badiashile is injured and he is left-footed and will compete with Ben. He needs to deserve it, it’s not because of one player’s injury, different types of combinations can happen.
“At the moment I need to see him and we need to know each other better. He is a fantastic talent. We are talking also about how we can improve his game in all areas.”
Colwill is likely to start the season for Chelsea but this little warning from Pochettino will keep the 20-year-old on his toes as a big season is expected from the centre-back.