Chelsea right-back Reece James has reportedly 'missed out' on the England squad for the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee injury in time.
England boss Gareth Southgate is said to not be willing to take a risk on the fitness of James after he suffered a knee ligament injury during Chelsea's Champions League clash with AC Milan, according to the Daily Mail.
The news is a potential boost to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who now looks set to make the World Cup squad despite not playing a minute for England in the last international break.
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News broke that James has been running on grass again after the injury and Chelsea boss Graham Potter believes his inclusion in the England squad was dependant on how he reacted.
"I just think it’s how he responds (James being available for World Cup)," Potter explained. "We don’t want to rush anything, I don’t want to put any timescales on it. That’s for him, doctors and physios."
It is rumoured James would only be fit enough to take part in the knockout rounds of the World Cup and Southgate is unwilling to take this gamble.
Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker is set to play in the Carabao Cup for City as he looks to prove his fitness to Southgate after underdoing surgery on his groin.
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