NEW YORK, July 13 (Xinhua) -- England defender Reece James says he is fully fit and ready to face Argentina in Wednesday's World Cup semifinal.
The Chelsea right-back sustained a hamstring injury in England's group-stage match against Ghana and missed the wins over Panama, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mexico before returning as a second-half substitute in the tense 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Norway.
With Jarell Quansah still suspended following his red card against Mexico, James is expected to start against Argentina and help bring balance to an England defense that has conceded plenty of chances during the tournament.
"It's good to be back out there," he told the Lions' Den podcast, relieved to have recovered so quickly.
"Picking up an injury at a tournament is always a race against the clock. I applied myself," he added when explaining his rapid recovery.
James believes an England team that reached the semifinals at the 2018 World Cup and the quarterfinals in Qatar four years ago, as well as the last two European Championship finals, should be able to cope with the pressure of the occasion.
"It comes with experience. The higher stakes the game is, the more pressure... We've been doing it for years, the fundamentals are the same, but the prize is slightly different," he said.
James also insisted that England was not being influenced by news or expectations from outside the squad.
"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," he concluded. ■
