Reece James is set to miss at least two of England’s World Cup fixtures as he battles to recover from a hamstring injury. The right-back, who has had prior hamstring concerns, experienced tightness following England’s goalless draw against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.
On Friday, James did not participate in training with the squad in Kansas City prior to their departure to New York, where they are scheduled to face Panama in their final group stage match on Saturday. Consequently, he will be absent from that game and the potential last-32 match that could follow.
The injury occurred while James was playing for Chelsea against Newcastle on March 14, causing him to be sidelined for nearly two months. Chelsea’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, regards him as a key player and had relied on him in both matches against Croatia and Ghana during the tournament.
However, the situation carried an inherent risk due to the need for James to manage his playing time amid the demanding schedule of the World Cup. England aims to compete in eight matches over a span of 33 days while in North America.
Tuchel had chosen Tino Livramento as the backup right-back, but the player suffered a calf injury in training just before the tournament began. In response, Tuchel called up Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and noted that Jarell Quansah, typically a central defender, could also step in at right-back. Other options for Tuchel include Ezri Konsa, another centre-back, and Djed Spence.
Interestingly, Tuchel opted not to include Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, suggesting a lack of confidence in the player. Alexander-Arnold has only been selected for one training camp under Tuchel’s management, which took place in June of the previous year.
