The England international will not undergo surgery after his recent knee injury.
Reece James will stay out of action for around eight weeks, which puts his World Cup chances in serious danger.
The Chelsea left-back sustained a ligament injury in his side’s 2-0 win over AC Milan on Tuesday. Initial reports claimed James’ injury wasn’t serious, but further scans have shown otherwise.
According to the Telegraph, James has suffered ligament damage in his knee.
The English outlet has claimed the defender won’t need to go under the knife. However, his eight-week recovery time will cast serious doubts over his World Cup chances.
James has secured his place on the right-hand side of England’s defence despite heavy competition for the spot.
The likes of Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, and Trent Alexander-Arnold have fallen behind the Chelsea star in Southgate’s pecking order.
James’ injury could see Alexander-Arnold getting his first England call-up in months. The Liverpool star is out with an ankle issue himself. However, his injury is not serious, keeping him out of action for two weeks at most.
Losing James would be a big blow to England’s defence, which has struggled for consistency in most of their recent friendly matches.
The Three Lions will play their World Cup opener against Iran on November 21.
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