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England will have to manage without Reece James for Saturday’s World Cup group-stage encounter against Panama after the Chelsea defender sustained a hamstring injury. James, who featured in the matches against Croatia and Ghana, did not travel with the team for the final group fixture. The setback means he is expected to miss England’s next two matches, dealing a significant blow to coach Thomas Tuchel.

James’ recurring hamstring problem has flared up once again. The right-back, who has battled leg injuries throughout his career, will be sidelined for at least two games due to what Tuchel referred to as a “minor hamstring injury.” Despite the concern, the England boss remains optimistic about the defender’s return later 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 stated during a press conference.

The absence of James leaves Tuchel short of choices at right-back. Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento has already withdrawn from the squad because of a calf injury, while Tuchel decided against including Trent Alexander-Arnold in his final selection. Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa are both being considered as potential options for the position. Following Livramento’s injury, Tuchel called up Trevoh Chalobah, who is primarily a centre-back.

“The reasoning behind calling up Trevoh Chalobah was to free up Jarell Quansah for the right-back position. I’ve seen him perform impressively for Liverpool, and although he played in a back three for Leverkusen, that’s not too far from the role we’re considering. We also have Djed Spence available. No one could have predicted this situation,” Tuchel explained.

Spence started against Ghana but operated on the left flank in place of Nico O’Reilly, who was rested for that game.

Meanwhile, there were concerns that Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson might also be unavailable due to injuries. Rice picked up a knock toward the end of the Ghana match and was seen leaving the stadium with heavy strapping on his lower leg. Reports also indicated that Anderson suffered some muscle tightness following the fixture.

However, Tuchel confirmed both players trained on Friday and are expected to be fit for selection.

“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,” the England manager said.

Although England do not necessarily need a win over Panama to confirm their place in the Round of 32, a victory would be a significant boost after a disappointing midweek draw. It would also secure top spot in their group. If England finish first, they are likely to face Senegal in the Round of 32, after the AFCON runners-up thrashed Iraq earlier on Friday.