Ben Chilwell will not participate in the World Cup, according to report from Chelsea, who said the defender hurt his hamstring severely against Dinamo Zagreb.
Ben Chilwell’s worst worries came true as he was forced to leave the Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb with a limp.
The left-back expressed his sorrow at not being able to fulfill a “dream” of competing in a World Cup after the Blues acknowledged that the defender had undergone a scan and that the results were not favorable.
The England defender, who has a history of ailments, did manage to stand up and play the final few seconds of the game, but he needed assistance getting to the tunnel after the final whistle and had to leave the stadium on crutches.
This season, the left-back has played 14 times for the Blues after successfully recovering from the ruptured cruciate ligament injury he sustained in November.
The 25-year-old left defender underwent tests to determine the extent of his injury, and Chelsea announced on Saturday that he will not be ready for the World Cup, which begins on November 20 in Qatar.
Chilwell was scheduled to compete with Luke Shaw for the starting left-back position for England in Qatar, but he will now be forced to miss the competition. Kieran Trippier will likely be the Manchester United defender’s main rival now.
On Thursday, Gareth Southgate will announce the members of his England team for the World Cup in Qatar. Their tournament will begin on November 21 against Iran.
Chilwell tweeted the following: “I put in a lot of effort after my ACL tear to get ready for the World Cup.
“It’s been a dream of mine forever. Unfortunately, given the results of my scan, this won’t be possible.
“I’ll exert every effort to return to Chelsea’s lineup as soon as possible. Thank you for your encouraging messages.”
It not only worsened England’s injury problems, but it also affects Chelsea. Reece James is also now out due to a knee injury he suffered against AC Milan, and he is in a tight window to recover in time for the World Cup.
In addition, it’s uncertain whether Kyle Walker and Kalvin Philips from Manchester City will be ready in time, which is providing Gareth Southgate with quite the selection conundrum.
In a statement, Chelsea said: “Ben has had a hamstring scan after suffering an injury in our most recent game against Dinamo Zagreb.
“Results indicate that Ben has sustained a serious injury, and the defender will sadly be missing the World Cup”, a statement from Chelsea read.
Chilwell has 17 senior international appearances and 1 goal to his credit.
Although he was a member of the team that advanced to the 2021 Euros final, he did not participate in any of the games.
The full-back will work with Chelsea throughout recovery; it’s possible that he won’t return until February.
