Graham Potter is keeping his ‘fingers crossed’ for Ben Chilwell who could miss out on his World Cup dream after picking up a hamstring injury on Wednesday night.
The defender put in a classy performance as the Blues beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
While they found themselves a goal down early on when Bruno Petkovic headed the away side into the lead, Chelsea quickly bounced back.
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Raheem Sterling levelled things, and his goal was shortly followed by one from Denis Zakaria, who put in a very impressive debut performance.
The win saw the west London side end the group stage phase in Europe with four wins, one draw and a defeat.
Despite the result being a positive one for the hosts, there was one big negative that came as a result of the match.
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In the closing moments, left-back Chilwell pulled up with an injury, clutching onto the back of his leg.
He was unable to continue and following the game he was seen leaving the stadium on clutches.
With the World Cup right around the corner, this could not have come at a worse time for the 25-year-old as it has put a severe dent in his hopes of going to Qatar.
With Chelsea’s Reece James also injured, two big England players from Potter’s squad look like they may not be travelling with the international team.
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Club and international teammate of Chilwell, Mason Mount, shared his disappointment for the defender.
Speaking to the official Chelsea website, he said: “We don’t know how bad it is but that was tough to watch.
“We saw his reaction and that never looks good. As soon as you feel something and to not even think about the ball, it’s tough.
“We know what’s coming up, hopefully it’s not too bad and he can be back as soon as possible because we need him as well.”
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Following the match, head coach Potter also spoke about the injury and how much of a blow it is for Chilwell.
He said: “Not great. Obviously, when he pulls up like that it’s a concern. Obviously we need to scan but it’s not positive at the moment.”
He continued: “It’s a blow for us on an otherwise positive evening. To see him pull up like that, it’s not a great sight. So fingers crossed when we get it scanned it isn’t too bad.
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“It can be not as severe but we have to cross our fingers at the moment. But clearly. We’re disappointed.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Ben Chilwell, Graham Potter, Chelsea, Football, Premier League, England
