Chelsea handed major injury scare as Reece James withdraws from England squad | OneFootball

Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly has replaced the Chelsea captain in the England squad

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Chelsea have been handed a major blow after Reece James withdrew from the England squad with an injury sustained against Liverpool.

He has been placed in the squad by Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City, who in being promoted from the Under-21s has received a maiden senior England call-up.

England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to Riga for a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on October 14.

The news that James has dropped out of the England squad is a potential blow for Chelsea, who already have a host of players out injured.

Including the suspended Trevoh Chalobah, they had eight players unavailable for the match against Liverpool.

James has shared game-time at right-back with Malo Gusto this season but could now be set for a period out of the team if his injury is serious.

Chelsea’s medical team have already conducted initial assessments and will use the October international break to give James further rest. The Blues are next in action when they visit Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on October 18.

James has been a key player for England under Tuchel, scoring his first international goal in March’s win at home to Latvia and emerging as the first-choice right-back “slightly ahead” of Trent Alexander-Arnold according to the head coach”.

City’s O’Reilly is a midfielder by trade but has played a large amount of his minutes for Pep Guardiola’s side this season as a left-back.

The 20-year-old is an experienced England youth international who had originally been selected for the U21s this month, for whom he is also yet to earn a first appearance.

First call-up: Nico O’Reilly

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When Tuchel named his England squad on Friday, he left out Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Adam Wharton as he named as close a squad as possible to that which beat Andorra 2-0 and Serbia 5-0 in the two September internationals.

The only changes to the squad at that point were the omissions of Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke, through injury, with Bukayo Saka included as a replacement for Madueke.

Tuchel went on to all but admit that he would not have re-called Saka if Madueke had been fit.