Frozen out Chelsea star returns to training ahead of Conference League tie vs Heidenheim | OneFootball

Chelsea welcomed back youngster Josh Acheampong to first-team training ahead of their Conference League clash against 1. FC Heidenheim.

The 18-year-old has been frozen out in recent weeks whilst his future is resolved amid growing reported interest among Europe's top clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Acheampong, who featured back in September for Chelsea against Barrow in the Carabao Cup, is in contract talks with the Blues, who want him to pen his long term future to Stamford Bridge.

He currently has around 18 months left on his contract until June 2026 and there has been an impasse over a renewal in the last couple of months.

But ahead of Chelsea's Conference League trip to Germany, Acheampong was spotted in training, which may hint that a positive outcome for all parties is nearing.

With Malo Gusto back in training this week following illness, although he was not spotted in Wednesday's session with the group at Cobham selected for European action, before their flight to Germany, and club captain Reece James sidelined with a hamstring problem, Maresca may see Acheampong as the perfect choice with Chelsea almost mathematically qualified for the knockout stages.

What has Enzo Maresca previously said about Josh Acheampong?

Prior to their win over Panathinaikos last month, the 44-year-old expressed his sadness over the situation, admitting he believes the teenager can be a 'very important' part of the club's future.

The Chelsea head coach said: "To be honest, I feel a bit of shame for Josh because I think these kind of games can be an opportunity for him.

"I had a chat with him, personally, about three weeks ago; about his situation and the chat we had was a very good chat, a positive chat but since that moment I haven't spoken to him again.

"As I said, it's a shame. I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be a very important thing for Chelsea.

"It's so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future. The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football. For him, I don't know the people who are trying to solve the problem, if they are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us but it is not possible."