‘I will try’: Reece James not giving up World Cup hopes despite injury

There are less than two weeks until Gareth Southgate is due to name his 26-man squad on November 10.

The injured Reece James is not ready to give up on his World Cup dream (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

Reece James is determined to make the World Cup for England and has not given up hope despite a knee injury suffered for Chelsea casting major doubt on his involvement for Gareth Southgate’s side in Qatar.

The 22-year-old right-back is facing an uphill battle to make the squad for the Three Lions, with James initially poised for a starting role.

But James could now suffer heartache after coming off at the San Siro over two weeks ago when he picked up a knee injury in the Blues’ 2-0 Champions League win over AC Milan on 11 October.

James has now given an update with his knee still in a brace and retains hope he could recover quicker than expected despite Graham Potter suggesting he would be sidelined for eight weeks, which would rule him out of the tournament in Qatar.

“I need to keep working hard over the next few weeks and see where I am on call-up day,” he told The Sun. “I will try and not rule myself out. It is still slow and in the early stages.

“I have been in rehab for two weeks, so I am still taking it day-by-day. The Chelsea medical staff have not given me a percentage of my chance of being back for the World Cup.

“It is down to how I feel closer to the time and how stable it is.”

It is now less than two weeks away from when Gareth Southgate is due to name his 26-man squad on November 10.