England manager Thomas Tuchel has defended his full-back selection decisions after confirming Reece James will miss Saturday’s World Cup group game against Panama.
James complained of a hamstring issue following England’s goalless draw against Ghana on Tuesday, and has since been assessed by England’s medical staff.
The Chelsea right-back has not travelled with the squad to New Jersey from their Kansas City base ahead of the Group L fixture on Saturday at 22:00 BST.
Tuchel insists James still has a chance of featuring in England’s possible last-32 match next week, though BBC Sport understands he remains a significant doubt for the start of the knockout stages.
James’ absence, combined with Tino Livramento’s earlier return home due to a calf problem, has raised serious questions about Tuchel’s decision to bring only three recognised full-backs to the tournament.
Djed Spence, James, and Livramento were the only genuine full-backs named in the original squad selection for the United States.
Nico O’Reilly, who played at left-back for Manchester City last season, is present in the squad but came through the ranks at Etihad Stadium as a midfielder rather than a defender.
Dan Burn has also played at left-back but is predominantly regarded as a centre-back, leaving Tuchel’s options looking stretched in wide defensive areas.
Spence and central defenders Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa are now available as alternative options should Tuchel need cover at right-back against Panama.
Despite the mounting injury concerns, Tuchel remained confident in the choices he made heading into the tournament, saying: “Yes, I am [happy with my options at right-back]. I selected the team, so I’m very happy with everything with the characteristic of the players and strengths that they give us.”
The England boss added: “We would love to have every single key player, we would love to have them available, it’s not available — we find solutions, it’s what we do. It’s a tournament, we move on.”
Both James and Livramento carry chequered injury histories, and Tuchel’s decision to take both players to the World Cup is now likely to attract scrutiny from pundits and supporters.
Tuchel attempted to downplay concerns over James, offering an update on the severity of the issue ahead of the Panama match.
“It’s a minor hamstring issue, he’s not been able to train the last two days,” Tuchel confirmed, adding: “He’s now on an accelerated rehabilitation program and we take it game by game, but we strongly believe that he will be available [during the tournament].”
There was more positive news elsewhere in the camp, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Elliot Anderson all confirmed available to face Panama on Saturday.
Rice and Anderson both missed Thursday’s training session with calf and glute complaints respectively, but both returned to the training pitch on Friday to ease concerns.
Saka is ready to start after coming off the bench in each of England’s opening two group matches as he managed a long-term Achilles tendinitis complaint back to full fitness.
