There were fears the Chelsea captain would be out for the rest of the season, preventing him from making England’s World Cup squad under manager Thomas Tuchel, but a hamstring problem will only keep James out for another four weeks.

“James has established himself as Tuchel’s choice at right-back. He missed England’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan last month, with Ben White and Tino Livramento unconvincing at right-back in those games.”

“Tuchel also has Jed Spence, Ezri Konsa and Jarrell Quansah as options at right-back, but he has shown little interest in Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.”

Manchester United’s five-step plan

The club will then aim to reshape their midfield by signing Bruno Fernandes to a new contract, reducing payroll costs and adding depth.

“It won’t be cheap, but United need players who can take the lead right away, like Arsenal got when they spent big on Declan Rice.”

“Elliott Anderson is that player. They will face stiff competition from neighbors Manchester City, but a marker could be placed if the England star swaps Nottingham Forest’s red for United’s.”

“Carlos Baleva is attracting attention as well, and after a below-average season could possibly be signed at a significant discount to the amount he was offered last year. Wolves’ Joao Gomez is another option and may accept a discount given his relegation to the Championship.”

Man City miss out on replacing Silva

Manchester City missed out on replacing the departed Bernardo Silva last year after Giovani Quenda agreed to sign with Chelsea, the Mirror reported.

“Quenda had a fantastic final season at Sporting, impressing in the Primeira League and Champions League. His former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, who managed him at Sporting, is also a fan of the player, calling him a ‘very talented kid’.”

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