Shrewsbury's season-long loan of Chelsea under-21 midfielder Leo Castledine has been cut short due to a minor stress fracture in his lower back. Castledine impressed at the League One club, making 26 appearances in his first campaign of senior football.
What happened?
The 19-year-old has not played since facing Charlton Athletic on January 25. Shrewsbury head coach Gareth Ainsworth revealed earlier this month that he was being left out because of ‘an overuse injury’.
Why it matters for Shrewsbury
The club then discovered that Castledine’s injury was much more serious than that after conducting a scan and he returned to Chelsea earlier this week for more tests. Chelsea now want to keep the England under-19 international at Cobham so they can oversee his treatment.
What comes next?
Shrewsbury still hope he can return to play for them before the end of the campaign, although there are no guarantees of that yet because Chelsea do not want to rush his rehabilitation. As of now, Shrewsbury stands 19th in League Two, with 49 points from 46 games, and a recent form of LDDWL.
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| League standing | 19th |
| Points | 49 |
| Recent form | LDDWL |
| Goals scored | 42 |
| Goals conceded | 69 |
| Goal difference | -27 |
The last result was a 1-0 loss to Gillingham on 2026-05-02. Shrewsbury is 38 points behind leaders Bromley in the title race.
