Danny Drinkwater Chelsea

Drinkwater charged with drink-driving as court date set for Chelsea star

Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has been charged with drink-driving and been given a date for a court appearance.

The Sun were among the first to report that the England international had been arrested after allegedly crashing into another vehicle after leaving a party early on Monday morning.

The crash allegedly left debris scattered all over the roadway while also flattening a fence.

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Drinkwater was said to have been attending a charity event in an upmarket bar called Victors prior to the collision, which it is claimed left the 29-year-old and two others in need of treatment for minor injuries. 

Chelsea admitted to being aware of the situation as they waited on updates. "We are aware of reports but we will want to establish all of the facts before commenting," a club spokesperson told Goal .

It has now been confirmed that Drinkwater has been charged.

A statement from Cheshire Police on Tuesday read: "A 29-year-old from Nether Alderley has been charged with drink driving following an incident in Cheshire.

"Danny Drinkwater, of Bollington Lane, was arrested shortly after 12.30am on Monday 8 April following a one-vehicle collision on Ashley Road in Mere.

"He has been released on unconditional bail and is set to appear at Stockport Magistrates’ Court on Monday 13 May."

The former Leicester man was originally signed by Antonio Conte for Chelsea for a fee of £35 million ($46m) in September 2017, having won the Premier League title in 2016.

But Drinkwater has struggled to lock down a regular role with the Blues and has not made a competitive appearance in 13 months.

Drinkwater, who has earned three caps for England, has only appeared in the Community Shield for the Blues this season after making 22 appearances and scoring one goal in all competitions in 2017-18.

In December, Maurizio Sarri, who replaced Conte at the start of the season, said that the midfielder was free to move on  from Chelsea if he wished to leave.

Goal also reported that he had offers for a loan move over the summer from more than one Premier League club, but the switch away from Stamford Bridge did not materialise.

Chelsea defeated West Ham 2-0 on Monday courtesy of two goals from Eden Hazard.

With the victory, the Blues moved up to third in the Premier League, two points ahead of rivals Tottenham, who have a game in hand.

But Sarri's side will now turn their focus towards the Europa League as Chelsea face Slavia Prague in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Thursday.

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