England have confirmed that captain Reece James has been forced to withdraw from the national squad after sustaining an injury during Chelsea’s weekend Premier League encounter with Liverpool.
The right-back, who had only recently returned to full fitness, reportedly picked up a muscle strain late in the game and has now been ruled out of the upcoming international fixtures.
In his place, Gareth Southgate has handed a surprise call-up to 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly — a rising star from Manchester City’s academy — marking his first senior invitation to the Three Lions camp.
The injury comes as another setback for James, whose career has been marred by fitness struggles in recent seasons. England’s medical team will continue to monitor his recovery ahead of the November international window.
Southgate is expected to reshuffle his defensive options as England prepare for their upcoming Euro 2026 qualifiers.
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