Reece James will miss the World Cup in Qatar due to injury.
After talks with Gareth Southgate on Tuesday, it was decided that the Chelsea full-back has not sufficiently recovered from the knee injury he suffered against AC Milan last month.
James flew to Dubai to undergo an intensive rehabilitation program in a bid to get fit for Qatar, and has even been making some tentative runs at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in recent days.
However, due to injury concerns to another key England right-back, Kyle Walker, and midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Southgate has made the difficult decision to tell James that he cannot risk including him in his 26-man squad. will be announced on Thursday.
‘James and his family devastated’
Rob Dorsett, England reporter for Sky Sports News:
“People close to James have told him Sky sports news the 22-year-old and his family are devastated that he will miss out, but understand the England manager’s decision.
“There was hope, certainly from the player and his family and everyone around Chelsea that he could play some part in the World Cup, but he lost the race.
“I think the key issue here is the number of other injuries Gareth Southgate is dealing with in this England team.
“I wrote a pretty thick story on Sky Sports.com about the decisions Southgate has to make.
Reece James has not recovered in time from the knee injury he suffered last month
“I said in that article that Reece James was the furthest behind of any England player in his recovery even though he had gone to Dubai to speed up that recovery and even though he had started running again at Cobham after that knee injury. .
“But the FA doctors, as I understand it, were told it would be several weeks before Reece James would be fit to play. Then he would have to get fit for the match and get back into the team.”
“Southgate decided that while he could still play a part in the later stages of the tournament, he simply couldn’t risk it, couldn’t afford to take it on.
“So he called Reece James yesterday to give him the bad news and Reece James and his family are understandably devastated as he was England’s first-choice right-back before the injury he sustained in the Champions League against AC Milan last month. “.
Maddison and Rashford prepare to make headlines as decision time approaches
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James Maddison’s form has lifted him up our World Cup ladder, while injuries have raised the hopes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and left-backs like Ryan Sessegnon.
Sky Sports News lead reporter Rob Dorsett breaks down the key decisions Southgate has to make before he names his squad on Thursday:
“James Maddison, Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire will be in the headlines when Gareth Southgate names his World Cup squad on Thursday, whether they are included in the roster or not.
“While I expect the Manchester United duo to get seats on the plane to Qatar, Maddison’s pick remains 50-50.
“Southgate is still sweating it out with several key players who are competing to be fit enough for selection. Calvin Phillips Y kyle walker they are in the middle of intensive rehabilitation programs, and also in the middle of anxious waiting.
“This will be the first World Cup where nations can select 26 players for the tournament, following new rules introduced by FIFA, and that gives the England boss a bit more leeway.
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Gary Neville, Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp debate whether or not Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold should be included in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad
“It means Southgate can consider players who might not be fully fit, as well as those who can be used as impact substitutes, overcoming some of the limitations posed by traditional 23-man squads. Southgate is not a fan of bigger squads, although he did work with a strong match of 26 for last summer’s European Championship.
“Nations can make changes to the squad at any time up to 24 hours before their first match – in the case of England, that means the final deadline is November 20.”
Read Rob’s full analysis of Southgate’s selection dilemmas here.
England’s squad for the World Cup will be announced Thursday at 2pm; Follow all the news and reactions live on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Digital with Rob Dorsett answering his questions on the confirmed England team on Thursday afternoon.
