November 24, (THEWILL) – Ben Chilwell, the Chelsea and England full-back, might miss the rest of the season after a scan revealed suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee.
After an innocuous challenge from Adrien Rabiot, Chilwell fell down in agony in the second half of the Blues’ 4-0 Champions League group stage defeat of Juventus on Tuesday night.
Chelsea’s medical personnel had to assist the 25-year-old from the pitch, as he was clearly unable to put any weight on his right leg.
Chilwell will have an MRI on Wednesday to evaluate the extent of his injury, and if an ACL tear is confirmed, the defender will be out for six to nine months, at the very least the remainder of the season.
If Chelsea’s worst fears are verified, the England international will undergo a second scan, at which point the diagnosis may change.
Chilwell has been particularly impressive in recent weeks, making big contributions at both ends of the pitch after overcoming a difficult summer in which he did not play for England at Euro 2020 and a start to the season in which Marcos Alonso initially made the left wing-back slot his own.
But, with four goals so far this season, he is Chelsea’s joint-third leading striker, having scored in three straight Premier League games in October. It goes to show how much of a loss this is for the Blues.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed this when he said: “It worries me because he was in such a fantastic moment, like Reece [James] on the other side.
“They were in the best shape they could possibly be, so strong and so full of confidence and with such a lot of quality. Chilly has a sharp pain in the knee and he was in a lot of pain. Now he feels a bit better so we will have an examination tomorrow to be more precise. We hope for the best and it’s not too bad news.”
As THEWILL reported, N’Golo Kante was also forced off against the Bianconeri, and he is a doubt for Sunday’s match against Manchester United due to a knee injury.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
