James blow leaves Tuchel tinkering as England seek Panama progress

England's World Cup campaign faces a setback as defender Reece James has been ruled out of the upcoming Group L match against Panama due to a minor hamstring injury. Coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed James's unavailability, stating he would miss the game but expressing optimism about his potential return later in the tournament.

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He has a minor hamstring injury. He was not able to train the last two days. He's on an accelerated rehab programme. We will take it game by game but we strongly believe that he will be available for us again in the tournament.

Tuchel described James's injury as "minor" but acknowledged it would prevent him from training for the past two days. The player is on an accelerated rehabilitation program, with the team adopting a game-by-game approach to his recovery. "We strongly believe that he will be available for us again in the tournament," Tuchel said, though he conceded the timeline for his return, potentially for the round of 32, is "tight."

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No-one could see that coming, Reece felt good and was in good shape. We would love to have Reece, he's a good player and we will look for solutions. That's what we do.

Despite James's absence, England received positive news regarding other key players. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, who had minor concerns following the draw with Ghana, have trained with the squad and are available for selection. Elliot Anderson also participated in training, indicating a full squad availability apart from James.

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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.

Tuchel also addressed transfer speculation surrounding Anderson, stating that while the club understands such matters are ongoing, they will facilitate any transfer discussions after the Panama match to maintain focus. He cautioned against underestimating Panama, describing them as a well-trained team capable of playing without pressure.

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He's now fully free of discomfort and is ready to go.