Blues bonus as Broja targets return for pre-season tour

ARMANDO BROJA is set to return for Chelsea in pre-season after recovering from his serious knee injury ahead of schedule.

The 21-year-old striker has been out since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in a friendly in December.

But, five months into his recovery, Broja is back in light training and is eyeing a return to action during the club’s pre-season tour of America.

Chelsea’s pre-season will begin in Cobham in early June, and they face Wrexham, Newcastle, Fulham, Brighton and Borussia Dortmund in the States.

Broja is expected to be available for those friendlies, which start on July 19, provided he has no setbacks in his recovery.

Chelsea are set to sign a new striker this summer and remain confident of sealing a £50million deal for RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku.

But Broja (right) wants to establish himself under the incoming head coach, set to be Mauricio Pochettino.

Several homegrown Chelsea players face uncertain futures, but Broja signed a six-year contract in September and the Chelsea hierarchy do not see him as a player who could be sold this summer.

Meanwhile, Chelsea fans have paid for a Thiago Silva banner to be unfurled inside Stamford Bridge before one of their final two remaining home games.

The banner is set to sit in the Matthew Harding Stand, following similar ones for Mason Mount, Reece James and Frank Lampard.

Chelsea host Nottingham Forest on Saturday and, after away games at both Manchester clubs, face Newcastle at home on the final day of the season.

After Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League to Real Madrid last month, 38-year-old Silva became the only player to publicly criticise the ownership at the club.