Loaned out Chelsea defender Levi Colwill in contention for the upcoming England squad. (imago Images)
Addressing the media after announcing the final squad (h/t Evening Standard), England manager Gareth Southgate explained the reasoning behind the snub of Reece James from the World Cup, citing “too many unknowns” as one of the key factors.
The Three Lions manager admitted that it was a difficult decision to not select the 22-year-old, but revealed that the player would not have been fit until the knockout stages of the tournament.
Keeping that in mind and the unknowns related to the recovery of his injury, Southgate believes that selecting someone who will not be fit to play in the group stage could be “deemed arrogant in some circles.”
Here’s what the England boss said regarding this issue (h/t Evening Standard):
“We had to make a very difficult call with Reece, who is a fantastic player. But he was not going to be available, if everything went perfectly, until the latter stages of the tournament, and there were too many unknowns for us on that road to recovery.
“Also I do not think we can take a player who is not available for the group stage, that would be deemed arrogant in some circles.”
It is kind of weird though as the same manager took Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire to the Euros last year even when they were not fit for the first couple of games of the tournament.
Moreover, other options at right wing-back/right-back are either out of form or coming back from injury. Kyle Walker is recovering from a groin surgery and hasn’t played for Manchester City in weeks.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is still good with his passing but has had a disastrous season defensively. Ben White has done well to get his chance but lacks international football experience (only four friendly appearances), while Kieran Trippier is a backup for fullback positions on both sides of the field.
As much as it would be a heartbreaker for James to miss out on the World Cup, it is good news for Chelsea fans. As per Evening Standard, the 22-year-old is expected to be fit and ready for action when the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day. The Blues have missed him in the last few games.
Having a fully fit and rested James would be great for Graham Potter’s men for the second half of this season. Hopefully, he takes his game up by another level and shows the Three Lions just what they missed out on in Qatar – unless, of course, they go all the way and win the whole thing.
It has been reported that Chelsea have dispatched their scout in pursuit of the German attacker Francis Onyeka.
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