England’s right-back selection crisis may alleviate somewhat in the coming days after Reece James was spotted moving freely in the thick of their celebrations after beating Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
Match Overview
Jude Bellingham’s quickfire first-half brace and Harry Kane’s penalty were enough to see England through a nervy, dramatic last-16 tie, with the win setting up a quarter-final meeting with Norway in Miami on Saturday night.
The Three Lions came into the tie with something of a selection crisis at right-back. Both James and Jarell Quansah had been struggling for fitness, while Djed Spence had been unconvincing as a deputy.
Quansah's Setback
Quansah recovered in time to start but struggled to keep up with the pace of play and compounded Thomas Tuchel’s selection headache when he was sent off early in the second half. He will likely serve a suspension of at least one match.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel for James, who appeared to be moving freely as he threw himself headlong into England’s celebrations.
James' Recovery Signs
He was seen sprinting up and down the pitch with his team-mates, and leaping to punch the air in front of the travelling fans.
The Chelsea captain had been nursing a hamstring injury coming into the match, which had seen him ruled out of victories over Panama and DR Congo.
He had also failed to participate in full-team training in the week leading up to the Mexico match, undertaking an individual programme on the eve of the game. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to play a role against Norway.
Tuchel's Comments
Speaking ahead of facing Mexico, Tuchel said of James: “Reece can maybe make it onto the bench, but we need the last assessment from the doctors and the medical opinion [as to] whether this makes sense.”
