Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has practically shown his readiness to return to the Stamford Bridge first team as he played 90 minutes for his club’s Under-23s against their Tottenham counterparts.

The German is returning to full fitness having undergone surgery on his left knee four months ago.

He played the entirety of a 2-2 draw on Friday night and Frank Lampard will be delighted to see the strides he is making.

Rudiger got involved in the game straightaway as he got on the ball and kept things nice and simple with a few neat passes.

However, he couldn’t do anything about Spurs’ opener as Phoenix Patterson converted Shilow Tracey’s cross from close distance. He was then involved at the other end of the pitch as he headed a corner into a dangerous area but George McEachran saw his shot blocked by the defence.

Rudiger was the old head in a youthful line-up and a recall to the first team squad surely beckons, the Daily Mail report.

He has not played for the senior side since April and made his comeback on August 19 against Liverpool’s Under-23s.

The 26-year-old will be hoping Lampard can start to feature him in his plans as a contender for a starting berth.

Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen have been entrusted at the heart of defence so far but Rudiger was a mainstay in the side before his injury.

The Blues take on Sheffield United in their next Premier League clash on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.