The England camp has been left reeling after Reece James was ruled out of contention for the crucial Panama clash due to a hamstring injury. The Chelsea right-back's absence is a hammer blow, with Tuchel confirming he will miss the match and potentially impact his availability for the subsequent last-32 tie.
Thomas Tuchel confirmed the injury, stating that James is on an "accelerated rehabilitation programme", sparking hopes of a speedy return. However, the manager was cautious in his assessment, acknowledging the tight timeframe for the next match: "We have hopes he'll be fit for the next match - it's a tight one, but the hopes are still alive."
This setback piles pressure on England's right-back situation, with Tino Livramento already out of contention. Tuchel opted to select Trevoh Chalobah over Trent Alexander-Arnold, citing Jarell Quansah's ability to cover at right-back - a role he's excelled in for Liverpool.
With James on the sidelines, potential candidates to step into his shoes include Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, and Jarell Quansah. Tuchel expressed confidence in these options: "We'd love to have Reece as a key player, but he's not available - we'll find solutions, that's what we do."
James had started both of England's previous matches, but his career has been marred by injuries - including an eight-week hamstring strain between March and May. He previously expressed frustration with the constant discussion surrounding his injury history, telling BBC 5 Live it had become "boring".