Reece James' hopes of playing in the World Cup appear to be over after Chelsea announced Saturday the English full-back will be sidelined for eight weeks with a knee injury.
A statement from the club read: "Following the knee injury sustained in our away match against AC Milan, Reece has received treatment from the Chelsea medical department and visited a specialist this weekend.
"After consultation between all parties, Reece will now undergo a rehabilitation program and is expected to be out for eight weeks."
Given that he's not expected to play again until mid-December, James is unlikely to be included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which begins in five weeks.
The race against time is on… But we won’t give up.
— Reece James (@ReeceJames) October 15, 2022
The 22-year-old was in line to play an important role in Southgate's team and was tipped to start England's first game of the World Cup against Iran on Nov. 21. Now, Southgate faces a crisis at right-back, as James' replacements are also dealing with serious injuries before next month's tournament.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold has been sidelined with a calf problem, while Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker is recovering from groin surgery.
News of James' potential absence in Qatar comes a day after reports Friday indicated Chelsea teammate N'Golo Kante will also miss the World Cup due to injury. The French midfielder is suffering from a hamstring problem.
