Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is still a high-class operator despite his recent woes, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest news involving Chilwell?

Chilwell has had a difficult few months after starring in Chelsea's Champions League final win over Manchester City in May.

The 24-year-old did not play a single minute in the Euros over the summer, with Gareth Southgate preferring Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier over him. He has since found himself out of favour at club level as well. Chilwell failed to feature in Chelsea's opening six league games this term, having fallen behind Marcos Alonso in the pecking order.

Thomas Tuchel finally handed him a start on Saturday, though, as Chelsea hosted Southampton at Stamford Bridge. The England international had a mixed afternoon, giving away a penalty when he tripped Tino Livramento inside the box, before he made up for his error by netting a late goal to round off a 3-1 win for the Blues.

What has Brown said about Chilwell?

It has been a rocky period in Chilwell's career, but Brown still believes that he has proven his worth at Chelsea since he joined the club for £45m in August 2020. He has now backed the £190,000-a-week star to push Alonso harder for his place in the team for the remainder of the season.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Chilwell, Brown said: “He’s still a great player. I think he’s been a brilliant player for Chelsea, done very well there. The two of them can quite easily share duties as the season goes on, I think, him and Alonso.”

Chelsea GO TOP! Check out full reaction on The Football Terrace...

Has Chilwell put his struggles behind him now?

After his performance in the Champions League final, it seemed that Chilwell was in pole position to be England's starting left-back at the Euros. Instead, he was completely overlooked during the tournament, and very little has gone right for him in the months since.

Playing against Southampton on the weekend, it appeared clear that he was still getting back up to speed, as he did not move his feet quickly enough when he lunged in and gave away a penalty that could have proved costly. 

Still, he bounced back well from that setback to get on the scoresheet late on, and that goal will be a massive boost to his confidence. 

It may take Chilwell some time to get back to his very best, but he is starting to take steps in the right direction, and he should get plenty more chances to go from strength to strength in Tuchel's side over the coming months.