Chelsea have confirmed that England defender Ben Chilwell will miss the upcoming World Cup with a hamstring injury.
During the closing minutes of Wednesday's Champions League fixture with Dinamo Zagreb, the left wing-back pulled up sharply and immediately went down on the touchline.
The 25-year-old needed to be helped back down the tunnel, and it soon became apparent that the player was a major doubt for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter revealed at a press conference on Friday that Chilwell was due to undergo a scan on the injury, saying that there had been a slight delay in order for the initial swelling to go down.
However, as expected, Chelsea have now confirmed that Chilwell will spend a lengthy period on the sidelines.
© Reuters
A club statement read: "Following the injury sustained in our recent game against Dinamo Zagreb, Ben has undergone a scan on his hamstring.
"Results show that Ben has suffered a significant injury and the defender is unfortunately expected to miss the World Cup.
"Ben will now begin a rehabilitation programme with the club's medical department."
The injury represents the second setback for Chilwell in the space of a year, the former Leicester City man also sustaining a serious knee injury last November.
That resulted in Chilwell missing the majority of the 2021-22 campaign, and his fitness has been constantly monitored since coming through pre-season and gaining regular game time in the first team.
© Reuters
Chilwell had still been able to enjoy a strong start to the season, making a total of eight starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League and Champions League.
According to The Telegraph, Chilwell will not be required to undergo surgery on the injury, the solitary positive from the result of Friday's scan.
However, the report suggests that Chilwell will not return to action until 2023, leaving Chelsea to rely on Marc Cucurella on the left-hand side of their backline.
Chelsea now have three players who seem certain to miss the World Cup with N'Golo Kante and Reece James currently sidelined with hamstring and knee injuries.
Wesley Fofana is pushing to recover from a knee injury of his own to make the France squad, while Potter also revealed on Friday that he does not expect Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to play before the tournament in Qatar due to a foot injury.
Darren Plant
