Reece James will be sidelined for at least the next two World Cup fixtures as he seeks to recover from a hamstring injury. The Chelsea right-back, known for his history of hamstring issues, experienced tightness following England’s scoreless draw against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.
He did not participate in Friday’s training session with the squad in Kansas City before their departure to New York, where they are scheduled to face Panama in their final group stage match on Saturday. Consequently, he will miss that game and potentially the following round of 32 match.
James previously injured his hamstring while playing for Chelsea against Newcastle on March 14 and was out for nearly two months. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel considers him the primary choice for right-back and had been relying on him for the World Cup, utilizing him for the full 90 minutes against both Croatia and Ghana.
However, the situation carried inherent risks due to the need to manage his playing time and the demanding schedule of the World Cup, where England aims to compete in eight matches over a span of 33 days in North America.
Tuchel had initially selected Tino Livramento as James’s backup, but lost him to a calf injury just before the tournament commenced. In response, he called up Chelsea center-back Trevoh Chalobah and noted that Jarell Quansah, traditionally a central defender, could also fill in at right-back. Other options available to Tuchel include Ezri Konsa, another center-back, and Djed Spence.
Interestingly, Tuchel chose not to bring in Trent Alexander-Arnold from Real Madrid, indicating a lack of confidence in the player, as he has only included Alexander-Arnold in one camp since June of the previous year.
