N'Golo Kante made his first Chelsea appearance in over seven months after playing for an hour in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.
The 30-year-old has been sidelined since August after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 2-2 Premier League draw against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Kante was subsequently ruled out of the 2022 World Cup, in which France progressed all the way to the final before losing out to Argentina, but he returned to team training earlier this month.
The midfielder watched on as an unused substitute as Chelsea drew 2-2 at home against Everton in the Premier League last weekend, but was able to get some valuable minutes under his belt in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.
Indeed, Kante played for 60 minutes as Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at Cobham training ground.
Academy trio Dion Rankine, Silko Thomas and Malik Mothersille were all on the scoresheet to help the Blues' development squad secure a comfortable win over the Addicks.
During the game, Kante received support from teammates Thiago Silva and Mason Mount, with the latter watching on in the stands while wearing a 'Kante No.7' shirt.
The Frenchman's return to the pitch comes as a timely boost for head coach Graham Potter as he prepares for an important final few weeks of the season in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Potter spoke highly of Kante last week but has insisted that the midfielder will not be rushed back into first-team action.
Speaking to reporters, as quoted by The Sun, Potter said: "Managers before me have spoken very highly of N'Golo because he's a top, top player.
"He's been a huge miss for us. Great for us for him to be back. We have to be mindful. We have to take the steps to get him back up to speed."
In the absence of Kante, January record signing Enzo Fernandez has cemented his place as a first-team regular in Potter's midfield, starting each of Chelsea's last nine matches in all competitions.
Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka have also been available for selection in recent weeks, while Mount is currently recovering from a pubic bone injury which forced him to pull out of the England squad.
Chelsea, who currently sit 10th in the Premier League table, will return to action after the international break when they play host to Aston Villa on April 1, before welcoming Liverpool to Stamford Bridge three days later. body check tags ::
