Reece James is now reportedly a major fitness doubt for England's final World Cup group game against Panama after missing training on Thursday. The Chelsea defender is nursing a hamstring injury, adding to Thomas Tuchel's growing list of fitness concerns ahead of the knockout stages.
Tuchel's Injury Woes Mount
England have already secured their place in the knockout phase, but Tuchel is sweating on the fitness of several key players. James joins Bukayo Saka, who came into the tournament with an Achilles injury, and Declan Rice, who was seen with a dressing around his calf after the Ghana game. Rice has reportedly been managing issues in recent months.
Tuchel also lost Tino Livramento, James's natural deputy, to injury on the eve of the tournament. With all due respect to Panama, there are worse games for James to miss, but the fact Tuchel's preparations have been hampered is far from ideal, especially with the knockout rounds looming.
Impact on England's Plans
Both Saka and Rice endured a gruelling domestic season with Arsenal, which culminated in them helping the Gunners land a first Premier League title for more than two decades. Saka has been restricted to appearances off the bench, and while Noni Madueke looked dangerous in parts against Croatia, England have missed Arsenal's talisman. Rice would also be a significant loss, although it's claimed the issue that prevented him from training on Thursday is not serious.
In James's case, he may have been rested anyway against Panama. England's best all-round right-back has suffered with injuries at Chelsea in recent years, and Saturday night's game is hardly a heavyweight clash. The problems will come, however, if James's absence stretches beyond just the one game.
Options Without James
If James is unavailable, Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah would be the options to play in his stead, with Konsa expected to shuffle across from centre-back. Both are fine players but completely different profiles to James; neither brings what he or Livramento do going forward. Given they both play primarily as centre-backs for their clubs, it's hard not to feel as though they would be square pegs in a round hole as longer-term right-backs. Neither feels as strong a fit for James's role as Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was overlooked by England's manager.
These concerns are allayed if James starts the majority of England's games. But if not, then questions will be asked of Tuchel, who rolled the dice with his decision not to select another orthodox right-back.
