The Premier League has been urged to take drastic action before the World Cup to avoid further injuries.
That’s according to Jamie O’Hara, who felt for Ben Chilwell after the Chelsea and England star hobbled off at the end of the Blues’ win over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
The left-back appeared to tell Mason Mount “it’s popped” as he was helped from the pitch clutching his hamstring at Stamford Bridge
Chilwell joins Kyle Walker and Reece James as full-back doubts for England ahead of the World Cup.
And with less than three weeks to go before England’s Group B opener against Iran, O’Hara has urged the Premier League to postpone the final round of games before the World Cup to avoid further problems for Gareth Southgate and other national team managers.
“Cancel the last round of games in the Premier League, give them a bit of breathing space,” he told talkSPORT. “The Premier League should do it, or the players should get involved. This is the problem with the Premier League.
“It’s all about money, all about getting the revenue in. The players are not being protected. It’s as simple as that. There are too many games and too many injuries and England are going to suffer.
“You could see in [Chilwell’s] face, he went white instantly. You know he’s done. It’s a six-week injury, four to six weeks so it kills his World Cup hopes. You’ve lost Reece James, you’ve lost Ben Chilwell, but for England it’s a serious problem.
“Players are dropping like flies. We keep going on about the amount of fixtures they have to squeeze in before the World Cup starts, and big games too.”
Asked whether Chilwell’s injury ended his World Cup hopes, Graham Potter said after the game: “I think you would have to say so, yeah.
“Obviously I don’t want to add any more than that but when a player pulls up like he did and he felt it so it’s never positive.
“I spoke to him briefly. He felt something as he was setting off so he’s disappointed and he’s upset. It’s not positive at the moment.
“It’s a blow to see him pull up like that. It’s not a great sight so fingers crossed when we get it scanned it isn’t as bad.”