REECE JAMES is arguably one of England’s most promising full-backs – but he will NOT be heading to Qatar this winter.
English boss Gareth Southgate has officially named the 26-man squad that he believes can finally lead the nation to glory once again.
But James finds himself in a similar situation to his Chelsea teammate Ben Chilwell meaning he will be staying at home.
Find out why the Blues star missed out and who is in the England squad for football’s biggest cup competition.
Why isn’t Reece James in the England squad for World Cup 2022?
Reece James’ World Cup hopes were initially crushed after sustaining a knee injury during Chelsea’s win over AC Milan last month.
But the Chelsea defender was handed a lifeline by specialists when he was told that he could be fit in approximately three weeks time.
However, with injury concerns to another full-back in Kyle Walker, Gareth Southagte made the tough decision to inform James that he cannot risk including him in his 26-man squad.
What did Reece James say?
Reece James took to social media to express his feelings on the situation as well as wishing his teammates good luck.
James tweeted: “Devastated.
“The minute I injured my knee, I knew the turn around to make the World Cup would be tight but I always felt it was possible.
“I’ve worked harder than I ever thought I could give myself the best chance of going and truly believed I could help the team.
“I appreciate there was risk on both sides but it was one I was willing to take. Good luck to the boys. I’ll be back soon. Stay safe & sending love.”
Who is in the England squad for the World Cup 2022?
Here is the England team for the Qatar World Cup in full:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Luke Shaw, John Stones, Eric Dier, Harry Maguire, Ben White, Conor Coady, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Mason Mount, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips
Forwards: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka
When is the World Cup 2022?
- Group stages for the Qatar World Cup will start on Sunday, November 20. This was moved a day earlier than planned in order for Qatar to play in the opening fixture.
- Second-round fixtures will be played between December 3 and 6.
- The quarter-finals take place on December 9 and 10.
- Semi-finals are set for December 13 and 14.
- The final of the 2022 World Cup will be on December 18.
