England’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, has defended his decision-making regarding full-backs after announcing that Reece James will not participate in Saturday’s World Cup match against Panama.
According to a report by BBC Sport, James was evaluated by England medical staff following a goalless draw against Ghana due to concerns over a hamstring injury.
Tuchel has confirmed that the Chelsea right-back did not make the trip to New Jersey from Kansas City for their final Group L match against Panama, which is scheduled for Saturday at 22:00 BST. However, he remains optimistic that James could be fit for England’s round of 32 match next week.
Nevertheless, reports suggest that James may be a considerable doubt for the beginning of the knockout stages, even with England already secured a position in the next phase, even if they finish third in their group.
The injuries to James and to Tino Livramento, who has returned home from the U.S., raise questions about Tuchel’s decision to carry only three recognized full-backs to the World Cup.
The only genuine full-backs in the squad are Spence, James, and Livramento.
Additionally, Nico O’Reilly, who primarily played left-back for Manchester City last season, is also part of the squad, though he originally came through as a midfielder. Dan Burn has also played left-back but is primarily recognized as a center-back.
Spence, along with central defenders Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa, are Tuchel’s alternative options at right-back.
Despite the situation, Tuchel stated, “Yes, I am [satisfied with my right-back options]. I selected the team, so I’m very pleased with the characteristics and strengths of the players we have.”
“Of course, we would prefer to have every key player available, but that’s not the case – we must find solutions, and that’s what we do. It’s a tournament, and we move forward.”
There are concerns regarding the injury history of both James and Livramento, leading to scrutiny over Tuchel’s choice to include them in the World Cup squad.
Nevertheless, Tuchel expressed optimism that James will return during the tournament, saying, “It’s a minor hamstring issue, and he hasn’t been able to train for the last couple of days. He’s currently on an accelerated rehabilitation program, and we will take it game by game. We strongly believe that he will be available [during the tournament].”
In more positive news, Tuchel confirmed that Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Elliot Anderson will all be fit to play against Panama.
Although Rice (calf) and Anderson (glute) missed practice on Thursday, they both returned on Friday, while Tuchel confirmed that Saka is ready to start after making appearances off the bench in the first two matches due to lingering Achilles tendinitis.