Barkley set to return to action this weekend

Ross Barkley will return to action this weekend.

Barkley, who has made just three appearances since his January move to Chelsea from Everton, is set to play in an Under-23 match against Derby County at St George’s Park on Saturday.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is hoping Barkley will soon be available for first-team selection again.

The England international had hamstring surgery prior to his move to Stamford Bridge and has been struggling with more hamstring problems in recent weeks.

He has been training with Chelsea’s development squad and is now set for a return to action.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Conte explained: “He has started to have training sessions. We prefer to have him training with the Under-23s and then to play on Saturday before coming back with us.

“We are talking about a player coming back from a bad injury – seven months without playing.

“We want to have patience with him and be sure before he comes back with the first team.”

Barkley has not played since Chelsea’s 3-0 home defeat against Bournemouth at the end of January.

That is his only Premier League appearance for the Blues so far.