Ben Chilwell said playing in the World Cup had always been his dream after Chelsea confirmed the left back is expected to miss the latest edition of the quadrennial event.
Chilwell suffered an injury during Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in their final match of the 22/23 Champions League group stage earlier this week. The 25-year-old was stopped with a hamstring problem in stoppage time of their victory over the Croatian outfit.
Chilwell was then helped off the pitch by two members of Chelsea’s medical staff. He underwent a hamstring scan Friday to assess the extent of the injury. And Chelsea confirmed today that the results of the scan revealed that Chilwell suffered a major injury.
The Stamford Bridge team confirmed that Chilwell is expected to miss the next World Cup, which starts on November 20.
Ben Chilwell sends a message after Chelsea confirmed the player was expected to miss the World Cup
Chilwell took to Twitter after it was confirmed that he would miss the World Cup. “After my ACL injury, I worked really hard to make sure I was ready for the World Cup. It has always been a dream of mine. Unfortunately this will not be possible after the results of my scan,” Chilwell tweeted.
“I will do my best to play for Chelsea again as soon as possible. Thanks for the messages of support.”
Chilwell’s injury is a blow to England, who are expected to announce their World Cup squad on November 10.
Chilwell’s injury also adds to Chelsea’s injured list, which already has Reece James, Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante currently sidelined with injuries.
James suffered a knee injury during Chelsea’s 2–0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro in a Champions League group stage match. He hasn’t played for Chelsea since then and is a World Cup doubt.
However, James is hopeful that he will recover in time for the World Cup and make it to the England squad.
Kante, for his part, will miss the World Cup with the Frenchman out for four months. The 31-year-old injured his hamstring during Chelsea’s second Premier League game of the season, against Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder has not played for Chelsea since then.
Meanwhile, Fofana suffered a knee injury during Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League. He is also likely to miss the World Cup, but he is expected to return to action after the break.
