Reece James‘ knee injury has turned out to be more serious than initially thought, casting a significant doubt on his ability to play in the World Cup, and the English Football Association is upset with Chelsea for their handling of the defender.
The England right-back sustained the injury during his team’s easy 3-0 victory against AC Milan in Italy, but he was walking around easily and without any bracing after the match as he thanked the visiting supporters.
Following this, Graham Potter decided against having James see a specialist right away and instead gave him the day off with his teammates. The defender reportedly went sightseeing in Milan with the Blues team while not wearing any knee bracing.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
“James flew to London on an EasyJet plane without medical treatment and his knee was not in a brace, albeit he was given extra leg room on the flight,” the Daily Mail continues.
And according to the same article, the FA is upset with how the injury to one of their best players was handled, barely over a month before England’s World Cup campaign got underway.
In light of the possibly catastrophic nature of the injury, “FA personnel are said to have questioned why James was permitted to stay in Milan,” they continue, with the FA believing that “James should have returned to London immediately.”
Naturally, the right back position’s weakness, which was formerly one of England’s strongest points, adds to their anxiety. With Trent Alexander-Arnold terribly out of form and Kyle Walker racing to recover from groin surgery, England’s starting lineup currently only includes Kieran Trippier.
Should neither James nor Walker demonstrate their fitness, Southgate is expected to call up Ben White of Arsenal because of his strong start to the season, making him nearly unavoidable for the England hierarchy.