Chelsea star Reece James has withdrawn from Gareth Southgate's England squad ahead of the match against Ukraine on Sunday. The Three Lions defender has struggled with injury this season and has returned to Chelsea in order to be assessed for an ongoing issue.
James came on in Thursday night's impressive win against Italy but was only on the pitch for just over five minutes after replacing Bukayo Saka. The 23-year-old suffered a knee injury before the World Cup in Qatar before aggravating the problem during his comeback in the win against Bournemouth in December.
England released the following statement on James: "Reece James has withdrawn from the England squad and will not feature against Ukraine on Sunday - the full-back has returned to Chelsea for an assessment on an ongoing issue. No replacements are planned as Gareth Southgate's squad, including the suspended Luke Shaw, continue their preparations at Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground."
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Chelsea had hoped to bring in Malo Gusto from Lyon in the January transfer window, but instead agreed a deal to sign the Frenchman and loan him back to the Ligue 1 outfit until the end of the season. Gusto would have been a brilliant alternative to provide cover and challenge James for a starting spot in Graham Potter's team, but instead there is another player that can fill the void left by the England international if he is sidelined for a number of weeks.
Trevoh Chalobah has proven that he can cover for James in the team after keeping two clean sheets in his last two games when playing at right-back. The 23-year-old's versatility has been a crucial asset for Potter this season after he has faced a number of injury concerns to defenders this term.
The Blues will be desperate for James to have recovered in time for next weekend's Premier League clash against Aston Villa. For now though, Chalobah represents the best alternative for Potter to start in the team for the game against Villa, with huge games against Liverpool, Wolves, and an away match against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final on the horizon.
Other options Potter could call upon include Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has impressed in a right wing-back role at times this season. Cesar Azpilicueta has not featured since suffering a head injury against Southampton, but if he is passed fully fit then the Spanish veteran could also operate in James' role whilst he recovers from injury.
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