Joe Cole has expressed sympathy with Ben Chilwell after an injury suffered against Dinamo Zagreb threw the Chelsea defender's World Cup hopes into doubt.

Chilwell pulled up with a hamstring injury in the closing stages of the Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge.  

With the World Cup set to get underway in Qatar on November 20, England international Chilwell is at risk of missing the tournament. 

Chelsea's Ben Chilwell is at risk of missing the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury

Former Chelsea star Cole frequently suffered with injuries during his career and stated that it is a 'heartbreaking' situation for Chilwell. 

Cole said: 'Yeah horrible sight for Ben, I feel his pain. I had problems at the back end of my career and it is heartbreaking.

'As soon as it happens it's a shooting pain. This close to the World Cup the best you can hope for is two or three weeks before you can get back on the grass and with a World Cup selection it's really tough. 

'I really feel for him, again in a game where Chelsea were just seeing it out he played a strong team. Overall a win three points, a win top of the group for the club, but you do feel for Ben.'

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle added that he is 'gutted' for Chilwell.

He said: 'Normally sometimes with a hamstring you get a warning sign, it goes into a little contraction and that's when you put your hand up but that one there just went didn't it? His face went, you could see he just turns the ball over on the outside, as he touches the ball he grimaces he's in real pain. 

'That looks like a nasty one, I don't understand how they haven't carried him off because any weight-bearing and he's got the other leg.

'But at the end of the day that's such a blow for Chilwell, he's had such a bad bad knee injury and he's probably when you think about it rehabbing in a way, I know he's back playing, but you normally get a compensation on the other side of your body when you come back after a long injury, but it's such a blow. I'm gutted for him.'

Chilwell has been capped by England on 17 occasions since making his debut in 2018.

He was part of the England squad at Euro 2020 but didn't play a single minute during the tournament.  

In November 2021 Chilwell suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament injury which kept him out until May this year.