Heartbreak in the air as England's World Cup dreams went up in flames last night! A 2-1 semi-final defeat at the hands of Argentina was a cruel blow, but it was compounded by the worrying injury to defender Reece James. The Chelsea captain's substitution in the 80th minute left fans and team-mates alike on the edge of their seats – had his hamstring problem recurred or was it just cramping?
The tension was palpable as England clung to a precarious 1-0 lead, thanks to Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal. But when James went down, Tuchel knew he had no choice but to act swiftly, making a triple defensive switch and bringing on Dan Burn in his place. The gamble backfired spectacularly as Enzo Fernandez levelled with just five minutes left, before Lautaro Martinez sealed the win for Argentina.
Now, James's fitness will be under the microscope ahead of England's third-place play-off against France on Saturday. He'd been out since that goalless draw with Ghana in the group stage, missing three matches in a row. But he was deemed fit enough to feature as a sub against Norway and even made it into the starting line-up for the semi-final – only to be unable to see it through.
Tuchel will provide an update on James's condition post-match, but one thing's for sure: this latest setback has raised fresh concerns about the defender's long-term fitness. With a history of hamstring issues, James will face a thorough medical probe to determine just how serious his injury is – and what it means for both club and country.