According to reports, Gareth Southgate has selected his 26-man England team for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Southgate has personally spoken to a number of players whose participation in the premier international tournament has been threatened due to injury worries.
Reece James, Kyle Walker, and Kalvin Phillips are a few of the players whom Southgate is said to have gotten in touch with.
Chelsea full-back James, who would have stood an excellent chance of starting England’s 2022 World Cup opener against Iran in normal circumstances, is the furthest behind in his recovery out of the aforementioned trio.
However, The Sun have since revealed that James has been given the news by Southgate that he will not be part of the final 26-man squad.
Southgate reportedly told James that he could not afford to take a risk on his fitness.
Walker and Phillips, on the other hand, have declared themselves fit for selection.
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The latter, who has played just 14 minutes of football this season, could feature in Wednesday night’s League Cup clash against Chelsea after recovering from shoulder surgery.
However, the Daily Mail add that this week’s cup ties will have ‘little to no bearing’ on Southgate’s final squad selection.
Walker, meanwhile, is said to have ‘amazed Manchester City medics’ after making a miraculous recovery from a groin injury.
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