MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Reece James says he is “devastated” to miss out on England's World Cup squad.
The Chelsea defender is recovering from a knee injury sustained last month and on Wednesday confirmed he will not be going to Qatar.
England head coach Gareth Southgate names his final squad on Thursday - and James suggested he wanted to be included despite the injury.
“Devastated,” he tweeted. "The minute I injured my knee, I knew the turn around to make the World Cup would be tight, but I always felt it was possible. I’ve worked harder than I ever thought I could to give myself the best chance of going and truly believed I could help the team.
“I appreciate there was risk on both sides but it was one I was willing to take. Good luck to the boys. I’ll be back soon. Stay safe and sending love.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
