World Cup: Tuchel confirms an England stalwart is out!

A huge blow.

This Saturday evening, England must take on Panama to strengthen their position at the top of Group L.

But 24 hours before kick-off, Thomas Tuchel announced some very bad news. His first-choice right-back, Reece James, has been ruled out for at least the Three Lions’ next match.

“Reece has a small issue with his thigh, a slight hamstring injury. He hasn’t been able to train over the last two days. He is now following an accelerated rehabilitation program and we will assess him game by game, but we are convinced he will be available for us again during the tournament,” said the England manager.

According to The Guardian, Reece James’ absence could stretch to at least two matches, which would be a huge blow for the Three Lions, who could face Portugal as early as the round of 16.

As a reminder, England had already lost a right-back to injury just before the World Cup, with Tino Livramento ruled out. At his press conference, Thomas Tuchel kept some uncertainty over the name of James’ replacement.

“We called up Trevor Chalobah to free up Jarell Quansah for the right-back position. I found him very solid in that role with Liverpool, and he has also played in a back three. And we also have Djed Spence. No one could have predicted this,” he explained.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.