Four options to replace Reece James in England's match against Panama
Chelsea captain Reece James will miss England's third game at the World Cup with a hamstring injury — Thomas Tuchel is considering four names as a replacement.
Reece James is certain to miss England's third match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after being confirmed with a hamstring injury, which also puts him in doubt for the next few games. The loss of their captain and main right-back has caused a big problem for coach Thomas Tuchel in forming the lineup for the critical Group L encounter against Panama.
England have all but secured a place in the knockout stages after a 4-2 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw against Ghana. Their meeting with Panama on Saturday will determine where the team will finish in the table — the Three Lions currently lead the table with four points, level with Ghana, so they will need to better the African team's result to secure top spot in the group.
But due to James' injury and the departure of Tino Livramento before the start of the World Cup, the squad lacks specialist right-backs. As such, Tuchel has four options to choose from as a temporary replacement:
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/en/the_independent_us_sports_articles_270/a0956ff10f43c235bea1e9b6ca08bacb" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>- Djed Spence
- Ezri Konsa
- Jarell Quansah
- Trevoh Chalobah
Tuchel's decision will play a big part in England's tactics in the final group game and could potentially affect their journey to the knockout rounds, especially if James' hamstring problem persists.
The national community will remain vigilant for the official confirmation of the starting lineup before the kickoff against Panama.
