Reece James has been told by Gareth Southgate that he will not be part of his World Cup squad in Qatar, which kicks off in under two weeks.
Southgate called James on Tuesday night to inform him of his decision to not name him in his 26-man squad for the winter tournament, which he is going to announce on Thursday.
It is believed that the Three Lions boss told the Chelsea star that he didn’t want to risk him as he recovers from a knee injury, despite reports suggesting James has been making progress in his recuperation. It is thought that the right-back understands his manager’s decision but is still devastated.
It is another huge blow for Southgate and England, after left-back Ben Chilwell was ruled out of the tournament after picking up a serious hamstring problem against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League last week.
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The defender suffered his injury in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over AC Milan at San Siro in the Champions League last month.
James was one of a trio who were major doubts for England at the World Cup, alongside Manchester City duo Kalvin Phillips (shoulder) and Kyle Walker (groin).
City boss Pep Guardiola gave an update on the two players recently and said that they were improving ahead of schedule with their issues and that they might still have a chance of being selected for World Cup duty. Both are believed to have declared themselves fit for Southgate, but a huge concern for Phillips is his lack of game time this season.
The 26-year-old has only featured three times for City this term, with his last appearance coming in September against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. However, he is expected to mark his return to action in City’s Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea on Wednesday evening.
Walker has been a dependable defender for Southgate and England in recent years either as a right-back or playing on the right side of a back three, establishing himself as one of the team’s most important players.
Southgate’s 26-man squad will be revealed at midday on Thursday.
