The 23-year-old has been out since August after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season, but returned to training with the first team more than a month ago and has played twice for the under-21 team.
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There is a chance Colwill could return for Nottingham Forest’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Monday, although McFarlane said his return will need to be managed carefully.
“When someone has had an injury for so long, you have to be patient,” McFarlane said. “We just have to manage his minutes, not put too much pressure on him.
“We don’t want to run the risk of re-injuring him, but he looks brilliant and is in a very good place. We are very hopeful of seeing him before the end of the season.”
Meanwhile, Cole Palmer could make his first start since a minor hamstring setback that led to him missing the 3-0 defeat to Brighton that ended Liam Rosenior’s less than four-month spell as head coach.
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The 23-year-old striker was only fit to be on the bench for Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United.
“It’s been a difficult period for him,” McFarlane said, amid growing pressure for Palmer to rediscover his form before England manager Thomas Tuchel names his World Cup squad. “It’s the first injury he’s had in his career.
“Obviously there are games where he can have more impact, but there have also been many occasions where he has created good opportunities for others. He can’t control whether those opportunities end; he can only put the ball where it needs to be.
“He’s had some really good games in the last three months. It’s just a matter of developing consistency, so overall I’m very pleased with him.
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“He’s still a top-class player, one of the best in the world. I’m not worried that he’s ready to impact games between now and the end of the season and, hopefully, in the World Cup in the big moments for England.”