Reece James could face surgery & miss World Cup after scans reveal severity of knee injury

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Reece James could face surgery & miss World Cup after scans reveal severity of knee injury

Further scans on the knee injury suffered by Chelsea right-back Reece James have raised the possibility he may need surgery, 90min understands.

The 22-year-old appeared to jar his knee in the 2-0 victory over AC Milan and attempted to play on before limping off the field midway through the second half.

The initial assessment of James' injury was positive and there was a confidence that the right-back would be back on the pitch in a little over a week, giving him plenty of time to recover in time for the World Cup, but sources have now confirmed to 90min that further checks on James' knee have been significantly more concerning.

James complained of more pain on Friday morning and was sent for further examinations which have pointed to further damage.

A decision on whether James will need to undergo surgery is yet to be made. The right-back will undergo more tests over the weekend to determine the best course of action.

The deadline for Gareth Southgate to name his England squad is October 19, with the tournament set to get underway on November 20, meaning James faces a clear race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the tournament.

Should James require surgery, his chances of featuring at the World Cup would be over and so the right-back is pursuing further diagnoses to determine whether going under the knife is necessary.