England coach Gareth Southgate says he wanted Chelsea star Reece James to be in the squad for the upcoming matches. Southgate shares that he dropped James due to his injury concerns. The Three Lions have recently announced their squad for the fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia. However, Chelsea stars like Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher are called up for the international duty. Moreover, Sothgate told that James has himself turned down the international call-up due to fitness issues. Indeed, the right-back made his first Premier League start since August in the match against Tottenham on Monday. Chelsea were able to clinch a 4-1 victory in a pure cinematic game.
As per England’s X account, Southgate said on Thursday that,
“I was hoping to call [up] Reece James. He doesn’t feel he’s quite ready and I understand that. He’s had a long path back from a number of injuries so he’s probably a little bit cautious in that respect. I can understand why.”
This is a good news for the supporters at Stamford Bridge. Their skipper will not be risking any more injuries in this month. However, James will surely has his eyes on the squad for Euro Championship next year. The English full-back has been a bit unfortunate this season being crippled with injuries. This is why the club needs to be extra careful with him. Chelsea fans will be hoping their skipper to be fit. James could have a fantastic season ahead if he stays fit and manages a long run until the end of the season.
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