Reece James said he has not given up hope on making England's World Cup squad despite Chelsea confirming he will be out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury.
James, 22, sustained the problem during the second half of Tuesday's 2-0 victory at AC Milan in the Champions League and was withdrawn after receiving medical treatment on the pitch.
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Sources have told ESPN that James will not require surgery at this stage but Chelsea released a statement on Saturday which read: "Following the knee injury sustained in our away match against AC Milan, Reece has received treatment from the Chelsea medical department and visited a specialist this weekend.
"After consultation between all parties, Reece will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is expected to be out for eight weeks."
The World Cup finals will begin in Qatar on Nov. 20 and although it appears highly unlikely James will be available, he wrote on Twitter: "The race against time is on. But we won't give up."
James is not expected to play for Chelsea again before the tournament, meaning England boss Gareth Southgate would have to take a major gamble on the player's fitness to include him in his 26-man squad.
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The scenario is a huge blow to Southgate, who is already sweating over the availability of Manchester City's Kyle Walker following a groin operation while Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold is sidelined with an ankle problem.
The World Cup begins Nov. 20, with England kicking off their group campaign a day later against Iran.
James, who has also played in a back three for Chelsea, will miss key games for the London side, who are set to play nine more times before the World Cup, starting with Sunday's league trip to Aston Villa.
James will miss key Premier League games against Manchester United and Arsenal as well as Manchester City in the League Cup before the season pauses for the World Cup and resumes in late December when Chelsea host Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Information from Reuters was included in this report.