England v Panama LIVE: Team information as Reece James damage sparks World Cup choice headache
England’s end to the group stage of the World Cup may not be as straightforward as expected, as they take on Panama tonight.
Although Thomas Tuchel’s side have already qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament, they have been hit by the news of an injury to Reece James, who will miss tonight’s Group L fixture.
In fact, the right back could be out of England’s last-32 game as well, but for Tuchel it is one problem at a time: first, he must decide how to proceed against Panama, who have nothing to lose in New Jersey after their elimination from the World Cup.
Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, and Trevoh Chalobah are all options to replace James here, while Declan Rice is expected to be fit in midfield after his own injury scare.
Follow live World Cup updates from the Group L game, below:
Four options that could replace Reece James for England’s clash with Panama
The Chelsea captain will miss England’s Group L finale and is a doubt for their last-32 tie due to a hamstring injury
Reece James missed eight weeks with hamstring injury between March and May
Last week, Reece James said he was bored of talking about his history of injuries.
The Chelsea captain was absent for eight weeks between March and May with a hamstring strain before returning at the end of the season.
He told BBC 5 Live: “I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I’m on the pitch. To be honest, I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring.
“I’ve been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don’t listen to too much noise. People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it’s so boring now.”
Thomas Tuchel on Reece James injury: ‘We will find solutions’
Reece James’ injury leaves Thomas Tuchel with further problems in the position after Tino Livramento was ruled out of the World Cup.
Tuchel opted not to pick Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, either in his initial squad or when choosing Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah to replace Livramento.
Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah are the likeliest candidates to stand in for James in the match at the MetLife Stadium.
Tuchel explained: “The thinking of calling Chalobah to free up Quansah on the right full-back position for us. I saw him playing very strongly there playing for Liverpool and he played enough in a back three – which is not so far from the position – in Leverkusen.
“And we have Djed Spence. No one could see that coming, Reece was in good shape. Konsa played in that right-back position as well for us on a high level. No problem. We would love to have Reece as a key player, but he’s not available. We will find solutions. That’s what we do.”
Reece James could miss England World Cup knockout game with hamstring injury
England have suffered an injury blow with Reece James ruled out of their clash with Panama because of a hamstring problem.
The right-back is also a doubt for their last-32 tie as he faces a race against time to be available for England’s first knockout match.
Manager Thomas Tuchel said: “Reece has a minor hamstring issue. He was not able to train in the last two days. He is now in an accelerated rehabilitation programme and we take it game by game. But there is some belief that he will be available for us [again] in the tournament.
“We have hopes that he will be fit for the next match. It can be a tight one. But the hopes are still alive.”
What is the England team news after Reece James blow?
Reece James will miss Saturday’s clash with Panama and may not return in time for England’s last-32 tie, with Djed Spence set to switch flanks and Nico O’Reilly to return at left-back.
Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are also notable injury concerns for Tuchel. Rice is a yellow card away from being suspended for the round of 32, so is likely to be rested for the Panama match with Kobbie Mainoo or Jordan Henderson playing in his stead.
Bukayo Saka may still have to wait for a first World Cup start as his fitness continues to be managed, with Noni Madueke in line to keep his place on the right.
How England can top Group L tonight
England still have work to do to top Group L, and will do so if they beat Panama and better Ghana’s result against Croatia.
Since England and Ghana drew 0-0, it would come down to goal difference to determine who finishes top if they are level on points. Ghana could overhaul England if they beat Croatia by a big scoreline.
An England win, combined with a draw between Ghana and Croatia, or a Croatia win, would confirm top spot.
England v Panama: What you need to know before kick-off
When is England vs Panama?
England’s clash with Panama kicks off at 10pm BST (5pm ET) on Saturday 27 June at New York/New Jersey Stadium.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match on ITV1 with coverage starting at 8:45pm BST. It can also be streamed on ITVX.
Good afternoon and welcome
England still have work to do to ensure the most favourable draw in the World Cup knockouts as they face Panama in their group-stage finale, even after their place in the next round was confirmed.
Thomas Tuchel’s side missed out on the chance to seal top spot in Group L a game early when they were held to a drab goalless draw against Ghana on Tuesday, failing to keep up momentum built from a fantastic opening display in the 4-2 over Croatia.
With England now tied with Ghana on four points at the group’s pinnacle, their clash with Panama has turned into a must-win match, though they enter the clash against the already-eliminated nation as heavy favourites and having already guaranteed progression to the next round.
Victory for the Three Lions will set up a round of 32 meeting with a third-place team from one of Group I/J/K, which could see them meet Senegal, who thrashed Iraq 5-0 to ensure their qualification for the knockout stages, or DR Congo if they beat Uzbekistan.
