Reece James withdraws from England squad due to injury, replaced with City’s O’Reilly

Reece James has withdrawn from the England squad after sustaining an injury during Chelsea’s dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, with Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly earning his first senior call-up as a replacement.

The 25-year-old right-back completed the full match on Saturday but was later assessed by Chelsea’s medical team, who confirmed that he would be unable to feature for England during the October international break.

The Football Association announced this morning that James had been ruled out of England’s friendly against Wales and their World Cup qualifier away to Latvia following medical evaluations. The injury is understood to be a shin wound, which the defender revealed on social media after the match.

His withdrawal is another setback for Thomas Tuchel, who had installed James as his first-choice right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold was sidelined through injury. James had recently returned to full international action, scoring his first England goal against Latvia in March and starting last month’s 5-0 win over Serbia.

O’Reilly, 20, steps up from Lee Carsley’s Under-21 squad, where he was initially selected for their European qualifiers against Moldova and Andorra. The Manchester City academy graduate has been rewarded for his impressive progress under Pep Guardiola, starting each of City’s last seven matches in all competitions.

Originally a central midfielder, O’Reilly has been converted into a left-back in Guardiola’s system and recently signed a new five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

O’Reilly’s inclusion marks his first senior international recognition after representing England from Under-15 to Under-20 levels. His performances this season have drawn plaudits, particularly for his tactical intelligence and ability to slot into multiple roles across the back line.

Tuchel’s side will host Wales at Wembley Stadium on Thursday before travelling to Riga for the qualifier against Latvia on 14 October. England currently sit top of Group K with a perfect record of five wins from five and hold a seven-point lead over second-placed Albania.

James’ injury adds to Chelsea’s growing defensive concerns, with several centre-backs already unavailable. Assistant coach Willy Caballero described the situation as “precautionary” after two defenders were also substituted against Liverpool, insisting that the squad would adapt to the mounting setbacks.

For England, O’Reilly’s call-up offers a glimpse of the next generation — and a valuable opportunity for the youngster to stake his claim in Tuchel’s evolving national setup.