Trevoh Chalobah learns England World Cup chances after Gareth Southgate picks initial 55-man squad

Trevoh Chalobah has been included in Gareth Southgate’s 55-man provisional England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 23-year-old defender has never played a game for the senior England side but still has hopes of going to the World Cup in Qatar.

He has become a key figure in the Blues defence since the arrival of Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge this season.

Featuring in the last eight games in all competitions for Chelsea he is a valued member of the team that has put in some good performances in recent weeks.

While the showing against Brighton on Saturday where he scored an own goal was not ideal, he still is in top form.

Chalobah has helped the west London side keep a total of five clean sheets in their last eight games.

In the absences of Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly because of injury, the Englishman has stepped up.

These injuries of course have given him an opportunity, and he is now a deserved starter in the side.

Similarly, any chance he has of making the World Cup squad chosen by Southgate could also be heavily impacted by injuries.

Both Kyle Walker and teammate Reece James are dealing with injuries and it has potentially opened the door for some other defensive options.

While it is expected that England will not be making any big surprise decisions next week, there is still a chance for the likes of Chalobah.

Having made the 55-man provisional squad, as reported in the Daily Mail he is still in contention to travel with the team.

Alongside the likes of Eberechi Eze, James Maddison and Callum Wilson, he will be hoping to impress in the next couple of fixtures to convince the England boss he would be a useful asset.

From the Chelsea squad, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also in with a fighting chance of a spot.

Much like Chalobah, he will know in the Blues next two games against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal there will be an opportunity to impress.

Southgate is set to whittle down the 55-man list to 26 next week as he sends off the confirmed squad for Qatar.

Current manager at Stamford Bridge, Potter, previously revealed he does not envy Southgate’s position and was full of praise for Chalobah.

He said: "Very impressed, from day one. He wasn't in the start for the first couple of games but acted perfectly. Very focused on his football and helping the team. He's a bit of a soldier.

"We've had some problems in terms of availability, but he's stood up and performing at a good level. Not surprising he gets that link (England), but that's thankfully not my problem. That's Gareth's (Southgate) decision to make."