England's World Cup campaign has been dealt a blow with the news that right-back Reece James will be sidelined for the final group game against Panama due to a hamstring issue. The Chelsea captain is also facing a race against time to be fit for England's first knockout match, should they progress to the last-32.
Manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the injury, stating that James has been unable to train for the past two days and is now undergoing an accelerated rehabilitation programme. Despite the setback, Tuchel expressed cautious optimism about James's potential return later in the tournament. "Reece has a minor hamstring issue. He was not able to train in the last two days. He is now in an accelerated rehabilitation programme and we take it game by game. But there is some belief that he will be available for us [again] in the tournament," Tuchel explained, adding, "We have hopes that he will be fit for the next match. It can be a tight one. But the hopes are still alive."
The injury deepens Tuchel's concerns in the right-back position, following the earlier withdrawal of Tino Livramento from the World Cup squad. Tuchel notably opted against including Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold in his initial selection or as a replacement for Livramento, instead bringing in Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. This decision was partly to free up Jarell Quansah for a right full-back role, a position Tuchel noted Quansah has played strongly for Liverpool.
With James unavailable, Tuchel will likely look to a pool of players to fill the crucial right-back slot for the match at the MetLife Stadium. Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, and Jarell Quansah are considered the most probable candidates to step in. Tuchel commented on his options: "The thinking of calling Chalobah to free up Quansah on the right full-back position for us. I saw him playing very strongly there playing for Liverpool and he played enough in a back three - which is not so far from the position - in Leverkusen. And we have Djed Spence. No one could see that coming, Reece was in good shape. Konsa played in that right-back position as well for us on a high level. No problem. We would love to have Reece as a key player, but he's not available. We will find solutions. That's what we do."
James has been a key figure for England in the tournament so far, starting both the victory over Croatia and the draw with Ghana. His career, however, has been punctuated by injuries, limiting him to 26 caps. He previously missed eight weeks between March and May with a hamstring strain before making a return at the end of the domestic season. Last week, James openly expressed his frustration with the recurring discussions surrounding his injury history, telling BBC 5 Live: "I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I'm on the pitch. To be honest, I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring. I've been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don't listen to too much noise. People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it's so boring now."
England currently sit atop their World Cup group with four points, having beaten Croatia 2-0 and drawn 1-1 with Ghana. Their final group stage match against Panama is crucial for securing their spot in the knockout stages, where they will undoubtedly hope to have their strongest squad available.