Chelsea have received a major boost with Reece James' knee injury not thought to be severe.
The 22-year-old was taken off midway through the second-half in the Blues' 2-0 win over AC Milan on Tuesday evening, with some pundits and supporters fearing the worst. James fell awkwardly following a challenge from Theo Hernandez and he went down holding his knee.
James continued for a couple of minutes before going down for a second time, with Graham Potter taking no risks and replacing him with Cesar Azpilicueta. The Chelsea boss was unable to give a clear update in his post-match press conference and admitted it was "too early" to know how problematic the injury was.
However, the Guardian has revealed that James will not be out for 'too long' and suggested his knee problem isn't serious. The right-back was praying that his injury wasn't bad after the game. He tweeted: "Fingers crossed it's not a bad one. Love for all the messages, I appreciate you all."
Due to the way James landed, there were fears that it could be a long-term issue, which would be a massive blow to England ahead of the World Cup in November. The Three Lions' campaign starts in just under six weeks when they face Iran on November 21, before facing USA and Wales towards the end of the month.
James' latest setback means three of Gareth Southgate's four right-backs are currently out injured, with Kieran Trippier the only one fit and available for selection. Kyle Walker is facing a race against time to be ready for the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a groin issue he sustained in the Manchester derby on October 2.
Does Reece James start for England against Iran? Let us know in the comments below!
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be fit with his ankle injury thought to keep him for a couple of weeks. The Liverpool right-back picked up the issue in their 3-2 defeat at Arsenal and subsequently missed the 7-1 win over Rangers on Wednesday night.
Although Potter will likely provide an update on James in his pre-Aston Villa press conference on Friday, it is anticipated that he won't be out for long which is a massive boost for both his club and his country. Chelsea are beginning to find their feet after a change of manager with the Blues recording their fourth successive win against Milan.
Jorginho and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang both found the net, while Fikayo Tomori was sent off for Milan at the San Siro. Speaking after the game, Potter said: "To come here and win is absolutely not straightforward. You could see from the start of the game, the crowd and atmosphere was fantastic.
"Overall, we played well. It was important to get the goal and the penalty and red card changes the completion of the game. We started to make the ten men count, which I think we did quite well. Overall, we’re delighted with the three points, the clean sheet, and to score two goals too."
