CHELSEA star Reece James is not giving up on going to the World Cup as he hopes to make a shock recovery in time to join England in Qatar.
James, 22, suffered a knee injury last week in the Champions League against AC Milan at the San Siro and was told he will be sidelined for two months.
That should mean he will miss next month’s World Cup, which starts on November 20 with Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate expected to announce his squad just before the final deadline of November 13.
Despite that, the 22-year-old posted a short update on his recovery from surgery and vowed to do “everything he can” to recover in time to join England.
The Chelsea full-back did add however that he is “devastated” by the fact he looks more than likely to miss out on his first opportunity to play in the esteemed tournament.
James said in a YouTube clip: “Last week against AC Milan, I went in for a tackle and got injured. I didn’t think it was too bad.
“After the game, I stayed an extra day in Milan and just thought maybe it was a little niggle.
“A day or two later I saw a surgeon, and he told me that I was going to be out for around two months.
“Yeah, it’s obviously devastating. The World Cup is only one month away.
“As a kid growing up, I always wanted to go and this is my first opportunity.
“I’ll do everything I can to be there, but I’m obviously devastated. You know, the 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.”
Southgate is facing quite a crisis at right-back with Manchester City star Kyle Walker also dealing with a groin injury while Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled on the pitch this season.
