
Ben Chilwell – Career, Injury Update and Crystal Palace Loan
Ben Chilwell is an English professional footballer born on 21 December 1996 in Milton Keynes, England. He is 29 years old and currently plays for Crystal Palace, with England Football listing him in the men’s senior squad. Primarily a left-back, he has also been used at left wing-back and centre-back.
His route to the top went through the Leicester City academy and a breakthrough at Leicester, followed by a move to Chelsea in August 2020. The reported fee was about £45 million, though some accounts put it at £50 million. Wikipedia documents that career in full, and ESPN’s profile confirms his English nationality.
More recently, his path has taken him to Crystal Palace on loan and, according to one report, through a spell at French club Strasbourg before he returned to Palace. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted his momentum. Some of those details are firmly established; others, including his current fitness and personal life, are less clear.
Why Did Ben Chilwell Move to Crystal Palace?
England Football says Chilwell joined Crystal Palace on loan in January 2025, with the move intended to help him regain international form. Crystal Palace’s club profile confirms he later joined on loan, and a squad listing from Read Crystal Palace places him with the first team.
The loan followed a period when injuries limited his appearances for Chelsea and England. A later headline from RotoWire indicates he is back with Palace after a year at Strasbourg.
Ben Chilwell at a glance
- Full name: Benjamin James Chilwell
- Born: 21 December 1996, Milton Keynes, England
- Current club: Crystal Palace
- Position: Left-back / Left wing-back / Centre-back
Key insights
- Chilwell moved to Crystal Palace on loan, a switch England Football says was designed to help him regain international form.
- He joined Chelsea in August 2020 for a reported fee of about £45 million, with some sources citing £50 million.
- Injuries have significantly limited his appearances for both Chelsea and England.
- RotoWire reports he returned to Palace after spending the last year at Strasbourg.
- England Football records 21 senior caps and 1 senior goal for Chilwell.
- Market-value estimates range from about €8 million to €10 million depending on the database.
- No official source consulted identifies a wife.
Quick facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin James Chilwell |
| Date of birth | 21 December 1996 |
| Place of birth | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Age | 29 |
| Height | About 178 cm (5’10″–5’11”, depending on the database) |
| Preferred foot | Left |
| Position | Left-back / Left wing-back / Centre-back |
| Current club | Crystal Palace |
| England caps | 21 senior caps, 1 goal |
| England debut | 10 September 2018 |
| Market value (estimate) | About €8M–€10M, depending on the provider |
What Is Ben Chilwell’s Injury Status?
What do the latest reports say?
None of the available sources gives a precise medical diagnosis or a return date. They do say that injuries have significantly limited Chilwell’s appearances for both Chelsea and England. The most specific detail comes from a RotoWire headline that mentions a knee issue, but the excerpt shown does not include a fuller injury timeline.
When will he return to play?
No confirmed return date appears in the sources. RotoWire’s item says Chilwell was back at Crystal Palace after “spending the last year at French team Strasbourg,” which points to a return to the squad without clarifying his exact medical status.
There is no clear statement of a current diagnosis or recovery date. A headline reference to a knee issue is the only specific detail, and no source lays out a full timeline.
Who Is Ben Chilwell’s Wife and How Old Is He?
Is Ben Chilwell married?
None of the official or football-focused sources identifies a wife or a marriage. One non-official biography says he is “in a relationship with Cartia Mallan,” but that is not the same as being married, and the claim is not corroborated by official football profiles.
Official profiles do not list a spouse. The only relationship mention comes from a single non-official source and is not independently confirmed.
How old is he and where was he born?
Chilwell was born on 21 December 1996 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, which makes him 29. He is listed at about 178 cm, or roughly 5’10″–5’11”, depending on the database, and his preferred foot is left.
How Many Caps Does Ben Chilwell Have for England?
What is his England record?
England Football records 21 senior caps and 1 senior goal for Chilwell, with his senior debut on 10 September 2018. UEFA’s player page also shows him in England-related competition listings and identifies him as a defender.
Did he play in the 2024 European Championship?
The sources reviewed here do not specify whether Chilwell featured at the 2024 European Championship. They do note that injuries limited his England appearances and that the January 2025 loan to Crystal Palace was intended to help him regain international form.
For a wider view of England’s recent international cycles, including the manager who led the national team into the 2024 tournament, see Gareth Southgate – Career, Family and Latest Updates.
What Are Ben Chilwell’s Transfermarkt Value and FC 26 Rating?
Transfer-market databases offer different estimates of Chilwell’s value. Transfermarkt lists him at about €10.0 million, while FotMob shows a transfer value of €8 million. Both are market estimates, not official club transfer fees, and they vary by provider.
As for FC 26, the football video game released in September 2024, no rating appears in the sources consulted for this article. Game ratings change with data updates, so any specific figure would need to be checked against the latest version.
Transfermarkt lists Chilwell at about €10 million, while FotMob shows €8 million. These are database estimates, not confirmed transfer fees, and they change over time.
How Did Ben Chilwell’s Career Develop?
- 1996: Born in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
- Leicester City years: Came through the Leicester City academy and made a breakthrough with the senior team.
- 10 September 2018: Made his senior England debut.
- August 2020: Joined Chelsea for a reported fee of about £45 million, with some sources citing £50 million.
- 2021: Won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea.
- January 2025: Joined Crystal Palace on loan, a move England Football says was designed to help him regain international form.
- After a spell at Strasbourg: Returned to Crystal Palace, according to RotoWire.
What Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear About Ben Chilwell?
Separating established facts from unresolved questions helps clarify where Chilwell’s career stands.
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
| Born in Milton Keynes on 21 December 1996 | Precise injury diagnosis and return date |
| Currently plays for Crystal Palace | Whether he stays at Palace or returns to Chelsea |
| 21 senior England caps and 1 goal | Wife’s identity or marital status |
| Won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 | Full details of his time at Strasbourg |
What Is the Context Behind Ben Chilwell’s Recent Moves?
Chilwell’s loan to Crystal Palace was framed by England Football as a route back to international form after injuries had reduced his playing time. The move also reopened a connection with the Premier League after a year that, according to RotoWire, was spent at French club Strasbourg.
The available record shows a player who has continued to operate at a high level — winning the Champions League, collecting 21 England caps, and earning a transfer reported at around £45 million — while dealing with repeated fitness setbacks. That combination of achievement and interruption is part of what makes his current situation worth following.
Which Sources Cover Ben Chilwell’s Career and Latest News?
The main reference points are Wikipedia’s career profile, ESPN’s player page, England Football’s official squad page, Crystal Palace’s club profile, and the databases Transfermarkt and FotMob. Historical career details also appear on England Football Online’s player biography pages.
For the most recent availability news, RotoWire’s headline reporting captured his return to Palace after the Strasbourg period.
He was back with Palace after “spending the last year at French team Strasbourg.”
RotoWire, on Ben Chilwell’s injury and return to Crystal Palace
What Is the Bottom Line on Ben Chilwell?
Chilwell is a 29-year-old England defender currently at Crystal Palace, with 21 senior caps, a Champions League title, and a career that has been repeatedly slowed by injury. The January 2025 loan to Palace was intended, per England Football, to help him regain international form, and the most recent report places him back with the club after a year at Strasbourg. For a closer look at how top-level football careers evolve and are reassessed, Roy Keane – Full Biography, Controversies, and Legacy provides a useful parallel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What position does Ben Chilwell play?
He plays primarily as a left-back and has also been used at left wing-back and centre-back.
Where was Ben Chilwell born?
He was born in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, on 21 December 1996.
How tall is Ben Chilwell?
His height is listed at about 178 cm, or roughly 5’10″–5’11”, depending on the database.
When did Ben Chilwell join Chelsea?
He joined Chelsea in August 2020 for a reported fee of about £45 million, with some sources citing £50 million.
Did Ben Chilwell play for Strasbourg?
RotoWire reports he spent the last year at French club Strasbourg before returning to Crystal Palace.
When did Ben Chilwell make his England debut?
He made his senior England debut on 10 September 2018.
Is Ben Chilwell married?
No wife or marriage is confirmed in the available sources. One non-official source mentions a relationship, but it is not corroborated.
What is Ben Chilwell’s market value?
Estimates differ: about €10 million on Transfermarkt and €8 million on FotMob. These are market estimates, not official fees.