Chelsea Exile Ben Chilwell Has Cost the Club Over £10m in Wages During 10 Separate Injury Spells

Last season’s vice-captain Ben Chilwell is among the high-profile names to be cast out by new manager Enzo Maresca, who is tasked with trimming Chelsea’s bulging squad.

Both Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling were axed from Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 England squad over the summer, and it now appears their respective places among the Chelsea squad are all but lost.

Enzo Maresca has taken a hardline approach to axing names from his matchday squad. With Chelsea’s unprecedented approach to transfers seeing them assemble one of the largest squads ever seen in the Premier League, the Italian has had to contend with hounding press rooms questioning how he will attempt to incorporate everyone.

“I am not working with 42 players…I am working with 21 players.

“Today’s session was with 20 players, yesterday was 21. The other 15-20 are training apart. I don’t see them. It is not a mess that it looks from outside.”

Those were the words of Maresca on Wednesday, who sent a strong retort back in the direction of critics lapping up the turmoil surrounding Stamford Bridge. The press conference also marked a rather bleak chapter in the careers of some of Chelsea’s more senior players, who have been publicly cast out by the manager.

Ben Chilwell Training Separately From the Matchday Squad

Ben Chilwell – along with Raheem Sterling – has been told to leave the club or “struggle” at Chelsea in a ruthless, but no doubt necessary resolution.

The pace of change in football simply can not be understated; this is a player who began last season as the club’s vice-captain with aspirations of a strong, injury-free campaign.

His problematic history on the medical table has persistently de-railed a once promising career. Although there is still plenty of time to build momentum and return to a level we have witnessed in the past, the 27-year-old will be forced to do so elsewhere.

For now, the 21-cap England international is training away from Maresca’s matchday core as the club seek a resolution before the transfer window closes.

“Brutal? I don’t think so, I just try to be honest.”

🗣️ Enzo Maresca on his decision to omit Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell from Chelsea’s first-team squad ❌ pic.twitter.com/JVmhxHHApo

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 21, 2024

How Many Games Has Ben Chilwell Missed For Chelsea Through Injury?

Since joining the club in the summer of 2020, Chilwell’s relative lack of game time is quite remarkable.

To provide a little context, he has featured 106 times for the Blues within that time frame. Comparatively, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has made 80 more appearances.

Although competition from fellow left-back Marc Cucurella and former teammate Marcos Alonso will have contributed to a lack of appearances, his troubling injury record is the driving force.

In total, Chilwell has suffered from 10 separate injuries since the £45 million switch from Leicester. This equates to 114 possible fixtures in which he likely would have featured.

How Much Has Ben Chilwell Cost Chelsea in Wages During His Injury Spells?

As Chilwell nears a painful exit, it is worthwhile looking at just how much he has cost the club in wages during his lengthy spells in the sidelines.

His initial contract signed in 2020 was worth £7.5m per-year, which equates to £144,000 per-week. Between then and the signing of his latest contract in 2023, he missed 53 weeks through injury, costing the club £7.6m.

Add to that 22 weeks since penning an improved £152,000-a-week contract last year, and it totals £10.94m in wages paid out to Chilwell whilst nursing injuries.

Although undoubtedly a proficient left-back on his day, these sorts of gaping holes in his career history means he will likely continue to be a problem player, wherever he lands this summer.