Chelsea star Reece James. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea star defender Reece James is hoping to return to action when the Premier League resumes after being left out of the World Cup squad due to injury.
The 22-year-old was given a phone call from England manager Gareth Southgate that he won’t make the final 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar. The boss stated the risk factor involved in selecting the player, who is still recovering from his knee injury.
James picked up a bad knee injury in a Champions League game against AC Milan on October 11. At the time, he was touted to be out of action for eight weeks.
But, in the last few days, there were hopes that the youngster could feature in the showpiece event, be it not from the first game onwards. He moved to Dubai with a member of the Chelsea medical staff to accelerate his recovery process. But, it seems as if Southgate is not willing to go to Qatar with a player who is not 100% fit from the start.
The focus for James now would be on being available for the Blues when the Premier League season resumes on Boxing Day. Graham Potter’s men have missed him in the last few games, especially in the defeats against Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal.
They would be hoping that the 22-year-old is back fit, rested and raring to go for the second half of the season. As much as missing the World Cup would be a disappointment, James is still a young player who has plenty of good years ahead of him.
If he continues his good form and remains fit, not many would stop him from representing England in the next World Cup in the USA. For now, and as selfish as it may sound, at least the Chelsea star doesn’t run the risk of aggravating his injury or getting injured again.
He is a crucial part of our first-team set-up and will be important if we want to end our first season under Potter with at least one trophy.
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