Reece James returns from injury to target Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Reece James has declared himself fit and focused ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final against holders Argentina, having made a timely return from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway after extra time.

The Chelsea captain had been sidelined since picking up the hamstring problem during the second group-stage fixture against Ghana, missing three matches in the process. On his return against Norway, James was initially used in central midfield before moving to his customary right-back role, with two goals from Jude Bellingham ultimately securing England’s progression.

“It’s good to be back out there with the boys,” James told Lions Den. “Picking up an injury at a tournament is always a race against the clock. I applied myself and happy to be back out there.”

England have not always been at their most fluent during the tournament but have found ways to advance at each hurdle. The added weight of the historic rivalry with Argentina brings a further edge to the semi-final, though James insists the squad has the experience to handle the occasion.

“It comes with experience. The higher stakes the game is, the more pressure,” he said. “We’ve been doing it for years, the fundamentals are the same, but the prize is slightly different. We’re in a bubble, trying to complete our mission. It’s hard to see the outside. We’re happy we’re making everyone at home proud. This is what dreams are made of. Everyone as a little boy dreamt of playing and winning a World Cup. We’re against one of the best nations in the semi-final.”

England have now reached two World Cup semi-finals in their last three attempts, as well as back-to-back European Championship finals. James pointed to the strength of domestic football as a driving force behind that consistency.

“I think it starts with the Premier League,” he added. “The best league in the world for me and I’m sure many fans. It’s the highest level. A lot of the good quality players are English. It shows how much English football has come on in recent years. We’re knocking at the door, in and around it, at the latter stages of tournaments when it is crunch time.”