Zenden recently aggravated an ankle injury while on international duty for Holland and he last started a game for Chelsea just over two months ago against West Ham.
However, while the winger's own targeted comeback was at Everton in the league this weekend, he is in the squad to face them on Wednesday in the Worthington Cup.
Claudio Ranieri fielded a relatively strong line-up in the third round of the competition and is set to do so again, even though he may rest some more experienced figures like Marcel Desailly and Graeme Le Saux, who has a slight knock.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, Mario Stanic, Albert Ferrer, John Terry and Celestine Babayaro are therefore in contention for returns, although Carlton Cole has gone on loan to Wolves.
Team (from): Cudicini, de Goey, Pidgeley, Ferrer, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Terry, Babayaro, Le Saux, Petit, Morris, Lampard, de Lucas, Stanic, Gronkjaer, Zenden, Oliveira, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen, Zola.