Reece James is in danger of missing the World Cup after scans revealed the England defender’s knee injury is worst than first feared, and Chelsea are concerned that N’Golo Kante could be out for the rest of the year.
James went off during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Milan on Tuesday and the early signs were that he had not sustained serious damage. However the right wing-back, who has been in outstanding form for club and country, underwent further tests on Thursday and could face an extended spell on the sidelines.
It leaves him in a race to recover in time to feature for England at the World Cup, which starts on 20 November. A decision is yet to be made on whether James needs surgery.
The news is also a blow for Chelsea, whose defence had already been weakened by Wesley Fofana suffering a knee injury against Milan last week. Graham Potter said on Friday that Fofana was unlikely to play before the World Cup and Chelsea’s manager also revealed that James and Kanté are due to see specialists this weekend.
Kanté has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury in August. The midfielder suffered a setback in his recovery in training last week and there are concerns that he will be out until the new year. Kanté is a major doubt to feature for France at the World Cup.