The head coach and director of football of the Chile national team plan to meet with Ben Brereton this week – but their hopes of him being fit for the upcoming national team games are unlikely to be realised.

Brereton has returned to Rovers after travelling to Dubai last week to begin his rehabilitation after damage to his ankle ligaments.

The 22-year-old sustained the injury in the 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion last month and has missed Rovers’ last two matches.

Director of football Francis Cagigao has spoken with Brereton, while coach Martin Lasarte is planning to travel to England to meet with the forward to assess his availability for La Roja’s upcoming matches. They face vital World Cup qualifiers against Brazil on March 24 and Uruguay on March 29 but look set to be without Brereton.

Rovers have five more matches leading into the March international break, with their 20-goal top scorer unlikely to feature in any of them.

The most likely return date for Brereton is the trip to Coventry City on April 2, or possibly even the home fixture with Blackpool on April 9.

That won’t come as good news for Chile whose quest to qualify for the Qatar finals will likely need them to take at least four points from their remaining two games.

Brereton has four goals in 11 caps for Chile, and featured in their previous two qualifiers in 2022 that saw him miss two Rovers matches. That means he has only played six times for Rovers in the calendar year, and is yet to score for the club since netting his 20th of the campaign against Barnsley on December 29.

Speaking to the Chilean media, Cagigao said: “We are evaluating the reports and images with our medical team. I speak with the player, with the club.

“We will go with Martín Lasarte to Europe to make a tour and we will take advantage of visiting him. We will be very attentive because Ben has been a player of tremendous importance for the national team.”

Cagigao, the English-born Chilean director of football, is best known for working for Arsenal for over 20 years before taking on his latest role at the end of 2020.

Cagigao said he was surprised that Brereton hadn’t been approached about a call-up prior to his arrival, but credits the impact that Brereton has been able to have solely at the door of the player.

“I knew that, I’d done my homework. It had very much surprised me that he hadn’t been called up before,” he told the Training Ground Guru podcast.

“That was a surprise. I looked at the squad and saw him as a player who could make a difference.

“Did I think he’d make such a difference? No, because I didn’t think he’d adapt so quickly. That’s why the credit is his, it’s down to him.

“He’s a top level professional, humble, down to earth guy, and that’s why he’s having the success he’s having.”

Brereton instantly became a hit with the Chile supporters and is seen as one of the next generation of the national side.

Cagigao expects Brereton to be playing Premier League football next season, and sees no reason why that can’t be with Rovers who he has developed a close relationship with.

“There has always been a good feeling with him and the rest of the squad and now Ben is a very important for Chile,” he added.

“I think he’s a player with so much more to come and I’d be so surprised if he’s not playing in the Premier League, hopefully for Blackburn with them because it’s a club I’m very fond of, we have a very good relationship with them.

“I think he’s a player who at this stage of his career should be playing at the top level.”