Reece James’ World Cup in doubt after serious knee damage

A decision on whether James needs surgery will be made in the next 24-48 hours

Reece James could miss the World Cup through injury, with reports suggesting on Friday that a decision is due to be made shortly on whether the Chelsea and England defender needs to have surgery. James, who has played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s success in recent years, is thought to have had an almost guaranteed slot in the World Cup squad for November. The 22-year-old suffered an injury against AC Milan in the Champions League midweek, and a report from the Daily Mail's chief football reporter, Sami Mokbel, now suggests that the player's club is fearful that he will now miss the World Cup. Chelsea are now said to be deciding whether James will need to have surgery. The Scottish Sun suggested a decision on whether James needs to have surgery will be made in the next 24-48 hours. https://twitter.com/SamiMokbel81_DM/status/1580886234725220353 Losing James will be a big blow for both England and Chelsea. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker are also injured at the moment, so Gareth Southgate is left with few options. Neither Walker and Alexander-Arnold have been ruled out the World Cup, but both lack match fitness. With the World Cup break coming up, Chelsea shouldn't miss to many games without James if his injury continues to cause concerns. Related links:

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