Chelsea defender Reece James will sit out of England’s World Cup group-stage clash with Panama after the suffering a hamstring injury.
James started matches against Croatia and Ghana but did not travel with the squad for the final group fixture. He is now expected to miss England’s next two matches in what will be a significant blow for Thomas Tuchel.
Giving an update about his fitness, Tuchel described it as a “minor hamstring injury”, adding that James will still have a part to play in the tournament:
“He’s now on an accelerated recovery programme, but we strongly believe that he will be able to play for us again in the tournament. We will find solutions,” Tuchel said at a press conference.
Reece James in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L football match between England and Ghana. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The injury to James leaves Tuchel short on options at right-back. Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento already had to leave camp because of a calf injury, and the German manager elected not to name Trent Alexander-Arnold in his squad.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah is viewed as an option at right-back, as is Ezri Konsa. Tuchel responded to Livramento’s injury by calling up Trevoh Chalobah, a natural center back.
“The thinking why we called Trevoh Chalobah was to free up Jarell Quansah in the right-back position for us. I saw him very strongly for Liverpool. He played in a back three, which is not so far away from the position, for Leverkusen. We have Djed Spence. No one could see that coming,” Tuchel said.
On a positive note, England will have Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson available.
“Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson trained with us today. They had minor issues after the game, but everyone is available for us apart from Reece James. We will take a decision tomorrow,” he said.
A win or draw will see England qualify for the Round of 32. Should they top their group, the Three Lions are likely to come up against Africa Champion, Senegal.
