An England star has suffered a massive setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Thomas Tuchel’s men qualified for the quadrennial event, winning all their games.
Recently, Kyle Walker retired from international football, and he already mentioned multiple names who could replace him as the right-back.
And, one of those popular names has now suffered an injury setback. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea captain Reece James has suffered a hamstring injury.
The report states that the latest hamstring injury is the tenth-time 26-year-old had suffered in his playing career in 2020.
James had previously missed the 2022 edition of the World Cup as well due to his hamstring problem.
However, this season for the Blues, the England international had stayed fit for the majority of the season. He featured in the last six out of seven matches for Chelsea this season.
Also, he recently signed a new contract with the Blues, which will be valid until 2032. James said after signing the new deal:
“I had to come through a lot, two or three years of struggles and setbacks. I’m in a really good place at the moment. My body is feeling good, I’m playing on a regular basis, two or three games a week.”
Now, Chelsea will also be devastated because of this injury. Liam Rosenior’s men have slipped to sixth place in the Premier League table.
They will have some catching up to do if they want to secure a place in the Champions League next season.
Also, the Blues will have an uphill task on Tuesday when they host the current Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last 16 tie.
Chelsea are already trailing by 5-2, and without Reece James, their hopes of a comeback have taken a massive hit.
The 26-year-old was also in contention for a place in the England squad for the World Cup in June. However, it seems he will now miss the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
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