World Cup: England can’t win without him – Merson slams Southgate for snubbing Chelsea star

 

Arsenal legend, Paul Merson has categorically told England manager Gareth Southgate that the Three Lions will not win the World Cup without Chelsea’s right-back, Reece James in the squad.

Southgate announced his 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the week with James missing despite recovering from his injury.

Merson slammed Southgate’s decision to not take James along, insisting England captain Harry Kane would have been treated different in similar circumstances.

James was snubbed despite indicating he was ready to ‘take the risk’ with the knee injury he suffered at the end of September.

And when the team list was announced the defender said he was ‘devastated’ by his omission.

Merson thinks the Chelsea star should be in the squad and saved for the knockout stages of the competition.

“If it was Harry Kane he would be going – what’s the difference? We aren’t going to win the World Cup without having James in the team,” Merson said on The Star.

“He is one of our best players. If it was Kane, they would say ‘right we’ll take him and use him after the group stages.”