Chelsea captain Reece James snubs England call-up ahead of November international break
Gareth Southgate called up Chelsea right-back Reece James for their November international games against Malta and North Macedonia. But in an uneventful scene, the Blues captain snubbed the chance to play for the Three Lions in November.
James, who has returned from a hamstring injury, feels he is still not fully fit to play for his national team and wants to focus more on his fitness.
James has had an array of physical issues since the previous season, he missed a significant amount of time due to a knee ailment. However, he declined the England call-up because he still needs to get fully fit.
The 23-year-old snubbing the call-up hasn’t gone right with England manager Gareth Southgate, (h/t Metro) who has claimed that there is just one more squad before the Euros and further said:
‘’I was hoping to call up Reece James, but he doesn’t feel he’s quite ready,’ said Southgate at a press conference on Thursday. ‘I understand that he’s had a long path back from a number of injuries. He’s probably a bit cautious in that respect, but I can understand why.”
‘’There is a lot of talent ahead of James, and that’s the risk. He’s only got one more squad before the Euros. So he knows that. We’ve got belief in what he can do.”
James made the decision not to participate if he still feels unfit, and we ought to acknowledge that since Chelsea doesn’t want him to pressure himself because the possibility of picking up injuries is more prevalent during international games. England have several possibilities at right back, including Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Southgate shouldn’t be overly concerned about it.
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James may play for the Three Lions when they play Brazil and Belgium in March, so then we can see James feature for them. Currently, he doesn’t feel fit enough to play for them, which is reasonable.