Reece James, the English footballer who plays for the Premier League club Chelsea, will not be a part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Qatar World Cup in November. The England wing-back has been ruled out of football for eight weeks after he sustained a knee injury during Chelsea’s Champions League fixture against Italian club AC Milan on Wednesday.
“Following the knee injury sustained in our away match against AC Milan, Reece has received treatment from the Chelsea medical department and visited a specialist this weekend,” the club said in a statement released on Saturday.
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“After consultation between all parties, Reece will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is expected to be out for eight weeks.”
The 22-year-old has been a crucial part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad playing as the first-choice right wingback in the starting eleven. His injury will be a big blow to the England men’s football team who got relegated from the UEFA Nations League after a dismal performance in September.
James, however, has tweeted saying that his selection cannot be ruled out and “the race against time is on” for him.
The England manager is expected to name his 26-man provisional squad for the Qatar World Cup on Friday, October 21. 30 days later England will play their first group-stage match in the World Cup against Iran.
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The Three Lions have been labeled as a choker when it comes to the World Cup. Since their loss to Italy in the 1966 World Cup final, they produced their best performance in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In the 2020 Euro Cup, they raised their hopes by reaching the finals but eventually lost to Italy in penalties.
However, earlier today, Gareth Southgate received the good news that Manchester City defender Kyle Walker will most likely be fit for the World Cup after undergoing surgery. The 32-year-old was injured during Manchester City’s 6-3 win over rivals Manchester United.
