Chelsea star Reece James gets emotional detailing chat with surgeon

Chelsea defender Reece James looked visibly upset as he took to YouTube to speak to fans about the extent of his recent injury, which could force him to miss out on this year’s World Cup in Qatar. The 22-year-old would ordinarily be a shoe-in for Gareth Southgate after establishing himself as one of Europe’s finest right-backs over the last few years but faces a battle against time to be fit for the start of the tournament.

James has started each of England’s last two matches in an apparent show of faith by Southgate, but it seems as though he could be set to miss the World Cup altogether as a result of his latest setback. He revealed in a YouTube video that he has been warned about a possible two-month layoff by a surgeon, but insisted that he will be doing everything in his power to return to fitness before the tournament gets underway in mid-November.

“Last week I went in for a tackle against AC Milan when I got injured,” began James. “I didn’t think it was too bad after the game, I stayed an extra day in Milan and thought maybe it was just a little niggle.

“I think a day or two later I saw a surgeon. He told me that I was going to be out for around two months. Yeah, it’s obviously devastating and you know the World Cup is only a month away.

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“As a kid growing up I always wanted to go and this is my first opportunity. I’ll do everything I can to try to be there but I’m obviously devastated, you know, just injury came at the wrong time. But every day we need to be grateful and thankful.

“But yeah, I’ll keep you updated with what’s happening on a day-to-day basis, and yeah I’ll touch base soon, guys.”

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James has chipped in with two goals and two assists for Chelsea since the beginning of the campaign and was a weekly starter for the Blues prior to his injury against AC Milan. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to mount a miraculous recovery in time for the World Cup, though, with his prospects of making the squad looking bleak as things stand.

As a result, it seems likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold could be set for a return to the England squad after missing out of the Nations League matches against Italy and Germany last month. The Liverpool right-back has endured a sub-par start to the campaign from an individual perspective but will be hoping for a spot on the plane if James is unable to return to fitness before the final 26-man group is announced.

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