Reece James, the Chelsea full-back, has been dropped from the 25-man England team for the next two friendlies leading up to Euro 2024.
Reece James may lose his place on the England football squad. Gareth Southgate admitted that James’ injury history could be a reason for his exclusion from England’s 23 man team for Euro 2024.
Reece James will not be part of the 25 man squad for the next two friendlies. England will play Malta and Northern Macedonia in the coming weeks. In recent months, the Chelsea skipper has gradually made his way back into the first team. He informed Southgate he was not fully fit and had decided not to rejoin the England team.
Southgate discussed James’ omission James spoke to the media shortly after announcing England’s 25-man squad. James was named Chelsea captain at the start of the season, but has only played one match for England since being ruled out England’s World Cup squad 2022 due to injury. He experienced a similar fate at Chelsea, where he suffered a torn hamstring on the season’s first weekend and has only recently returned, making four starts in the last three weeks – yet to complete 90 minutes.
Southgate and James Recee are at risk.
“He was very keen to make clear, ‘Look, I don’t want you to think I don’t want to be there’,” Southgate said.
“We also had a very long and interesting conversation after that, as well as an exchange of messages. But I am very understanding. We all know that we need a Reece James who can play consecutive matches, because we only have 23 players to take to the finals. Physical reliability will be very important.”
Southgate said, “We’ve taken no crocks.” “We’ve taken calculated risks on [Harry] Maguire played in the Euros and Walker in the World Cup. Phillips played in the Euros with the shoulder injury. All three players played. These risks were lower because we had an extra three players. So it [the 23-man squad] It will change the way you think and operate.
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“[James has] Not yet had 90 minutes [since returning for Chelsea]. He has only been able be with us for a limited time [this year] Really in March for the first camp. It’s just because he’s always having these moments of breakdown, so we knew he was not 100 per cent. “I was clear that we understood that.”
“There is a lot to learn about [competition] This is the risk“, added Southgate.He knows he has only one squad to play before the Euros. We believe in what he’s capable of.“