Chilwell ´dream´ shattered as injured Chelsea star suffers England World Cup KO

Ben Chilwell said his “dream” was in tatters after the Chelsea left-back was knocked out of contention for England’s World Cup trip.

The former Leicester City defender suffered a hamstring injury in the closing seconds of Chelsea’s Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

He underwent scans on Friday, and the results showed a “significant” problem, Chelsea announced.

It comes after Chilwell recovered from a cruciate knee ligament injury to reclaim his place in the Blues team and show he could have been an asset for England.

While his club said only that 25-year-old Chilwell was “expected” to miss the tournament in Qatar, the player himself added the finality by conceding there was no chance he would make Gareth Southgate’s squad.

He wrote on Twitter: “Following my ACL injury I worked so hard to make sure I was ready for the World Cup. It has always been a dream of mine.

“Unfortunately, this won’t be possible following my scan results. I’ll do all I can to get back playing for Chelsea ASAP. Thanks for the messages of support.”

You’ll come back stronger

— England (@England) November 5, 2022

Chilwell’s Chelsea and England team-mate Raheem Sterling sent a message of sympathy, posting: “Prayers up for my guy Chilly. Minor setback, major comeback.”