Chelsea full-back Reece James has provided an update on his knee injury after he had to be substituted in the 2-0 Champions League victory against AC Milan.
The in-form full-back, who has excelled since Graham Potter’s hiring, caused immediate concern when he fell to the ground holding his knee during a second-half clash with AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez. Any negative news would be disastrous for both club and nation because James is now on track to start for Gareth Southgate’s English side at the World Cup in Qatar.
James tried to play further, but he was unable to continue and had to be substituted. However, the English star has revealed that he has his fingers crossed for his injury.
As reported by Football London, he said:
“Fingers crossed it’s not a bad one. I love all the messages. I appreciate them all. “
The right-back’s injury may not be as serious as first thought, and only scans will reveal the full degree of any potential issue.
It is not a big concern for Chelsea, but for England, it may be a worrying cause. English right-back Kyle Walker suffered an injury during the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, making it a difficult week for Southgate.
The Manchester City star must now race against time to recover before the World Cup campaign in November. In Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Arsenal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been in shaky form lately, was also forced off with an ankle injury.
It means that, as of now, Kieran Trippier is the only right-back available for England, and Southgate will want to make sure his defenders are protected as much as possible over the next few weeks.
Chelsea just lost Wesley Fofana to a knee injury in their 3-0 victory over AC Milan in the Champions League.
Fofana should be ready to return in about four weeks, despite initial concerns that he had injured his anterior cruciate ligament.
