Reece James will see a specialist as concerns over his early return from injury mount ahead of the 2022 World Cup. This was revealed by new Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who is doing everything possible to ensure an early return of the right-back from injury before the 2022 World Cup kicks off.
Premier League and Chelsea star Reece James is the latest injury casualty in the Blues’ squad, with England manager Gareth Southgate equally worried about the prospects of an early return for the 23-year-old right-back.
Graham Potter has revealed Reece James will see a specialist in the weekend after reports emerged that the knee injury will rule him out of the World Cup.
Chelsea traveled to San Siro to complete a double over AC Milan, but the victory came with a severe cost to the Blues.
Reece James picked up a knee injury and was forced off during the second half of the Champions League game.
On Friday October 14, 2022, it was confirmed that Reece has sustained a knee ligament damage during the injury and will not return to feature for the Three Lions of England in Qatar.
Reece James was among Gareth Southgate’s preferred defenders to be named in England’s squad for the 2022 World Cup.
James had tweeted after the injury thanking well wishes while downplaying the severity of the damage.
However, as things stand, he may likely miss out on the 2022 World Cup after it was confirmed that he damaged his ligaments in the process.
Nevertheless, all hope is not lost, as Graham Potter reveals that James will see a specialist in the weekend to expedite his process of recovery.
Speaking live on Sky Sports, the former Brighton manager said;
“He’s due to see a specialist over the weekend so, until we get that information, there’s not too much else I can add unfortunately. The rest would just be speculation from my perspective.
“We spoke yesterday (Thursday) and he felt not too bad but, until you get these things checked, you never know.
“There’s no point looking into the doomsday scenario yet. We just need to check and then go forward.”
Reece James has started the Three Lions’ last four matches and is a priority defender for Gareth Southgate ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Southgate is already battling with injury worries among his defenders ahead of the tournament, with the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker sidelined.
Reece James is his third defender to join the list, which is a significant blow to the team who opens their 2022 World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21.
The exact date that Reece James will return from injury is still unclear. There are reports that he may likely return a few days before the World Cup.
It is now left to Gareth Southgate to decide whether to include the defender in his squad or not if he is yet to be fully fit when he returns from the injury before the World Cup.
