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Chelsea full-back Ben Chilwell is the latest major injury doubt ahead of the World Cup.
The 25 year old went down towards the end of Chelsea’s tie with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions’ League on Wednesday, and then had to hobble off the pitch in tears with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Later manager Graham Potter said that, although the extent of the injury was not known it “was not looking positive.” Some Chelsea fans were critical of Potter, though, wondering why Chilwell was risked in what was effectively a dead rubber, with his team having already qualified for the last 16 of the competition.
It is another injury blow for Chilwell, who missed virtually all of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, and poses another problem for Gareth Southgate when he announces his World Cup squad. with his available supply of left-backs fast dwindling.
He looks like being the latest Chelsea player who may miss Qatar. Midfielder N’Golo Kanté has already been ruled out after his own hamstring injury, whilst fellow full-back Reece James is struggling to be fit after injuring his keen against AC Milan in an earlier Champions League tie.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.