Chilwell set to start for England in Croatia
Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell is likely to earn his first England start when the Three Lions take on Croatia in the UEFA Nations League tomorrow night.
The Leicester Mercury report that the only other left-back in the squad, Danny Rose, has been forced to withdraw with injury leaving the path clear for Chilwell to start in Rijeka.
This is only the second time the 21-year-old has been involved with Gareth Southgate’s senior squad, having come on as a substitute in last month’s win over Switzerland at the King Power Stadium
The defender was expected to be part of the U21 set-up this time around, but a late injury to Manchester United’s Luke Shaw saw him involved with the seniors once more.
Friday’s match will be played behind closed doors with the Croats still serving a supporters ban after a Swastika was mowed into the pitch during their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
The lack of supporters will provide an alien atmosphere for the players, and Chilwell believes it is something that will take some getting used to.
He said:
It’s at their place, so there would be their fans there and it could be quite hostile, but I think every player likes playing in front of fans.
Whether it’s hostile or not, you know you’re playing in a big match when there are fans there. It’s something we’ve got to adjust to on the day.
Chilwell has established himself as first-choice left back with the Foxes in recent times, jumping above Christian Fuchs in the pecking order.