James Turns Focus To Argentina After Overcoming World Cup Injury

London: Reece James is happy to have beaten the clock and recovered from his injury just as England enter the knockout stage of the World Cup, reported PA Media/dpa. The Chelsea captain returned as a second-half substitute in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway, having missed three games with a hamstring problem picked up in the second group fixture against Ghana. James came on as a central midfielder before switching to his usual right-back position as two Jude Bellingham goals sent England through to a semi-final date with holders Argentina on Wednesday. According to Nam News Network, James expressed his delight at being back on the field, stating, "It's good to be back out there with the boys," during an interview with the official media channel of the England men's national football team, Lions Den. He acknowledged the challenges of recovering from an injury at a tournament, emphasizing the urgency of the situation: "Picking up an injury at a tournament is always a race against the clock. I applied mys elf and am happy to be back out there." Despite not being at their best throughout the tournament, Thomas Tuchel's side has consistently found ways to overcome obstacles, but their upcoming match against Argentina presents one of their most significant challenges yet. England versus Argentina is a fixture steeped in history, and James believes his team is well-prepared to handle the pressure. "It comes with experience. The higher stakes the game is, the more pressure," he added. "We've been doing it for years, the fundamentals are the same, but the prize is slightly different." Reflecting on the team's journey, James mentioned the sense of pride and isolation that comes with being part of such a significant event: "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 is experiencing a golden era of tournament performances, having reached two World Cup semi-finals in the last three events and back-to-back European Championship finals. James attributes this success to the quality of the Premier League. "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."