England injury news: Thomas Tuchel hit by double injury concern ahead of World Cup clash with Panama

By Seye Omidiora | 26 Jun 2026 23:09

Thomas Tuchel is believed to be sweating over the fitness of Reece James and Elliot Anderson ahead of England’s final World Cup group-stage fixture against Panama.

The Three Lions sit top of Group L on goal difference after a recent goalless draw with Ghana, who also look likely to progress in some capacity.

Progression to the knockout rounds is virtually guaranteed for the Three Lions, regardless of the result in the upcoming match at MetLife Stadium.

However, the manager must now rotate his squad following reports that James and Anderson will miss the Panama game due to muscular issues.

Injury news: Reported double injury setback disrupts England’s plans

The Athletic reports that Manchester City-bound Anderson is a major doubt for Saturday after experiencing glute soreness following a physically demanding start to the tournament.

The 23-year-old has played 163 minutes across the first two matches and will likely be rested to avoid aggravating the problem.

Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Reece James has been ruled out of the weekend clash due to a minor hamstring issue.

James’s absence is a pre-planned medical decision aimed at managing his workload, given his history of hamstring injuries.

Notably, the report suggests that the full-back could also miss the subsequent round-of-32 tie if England progress safely, leaving Tuchel short of options at right-back.

James or Anderson: Who would be the bigger miss for England?

Without a doubt, James’s potential absence would hurt England more than Anderson’s, whose likely omission against Panama appears more precautionary than critical.

Given that Tuchel left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the squad for this summer’s finals in North America, he may have to rely on Trevoh Chalobah, Jarell Quansah or even Ezri Konsa.

The most likely solution, however, is to deploy Djed Spence at right-back, with Nico O’Reilly returning to left-back for the first knockout round after possible rotation on Saturday.

That said, no one in the squad can match James’s technical quality in possession, meaning Tuchel will probably be forced to adjust England’s playing style over the next two games.

Kobbie Mainoo was always expected to start against Panama, but doubts over Declan Rice’s fitness leave the Three Lions slightly short in central midfield going into their final group game.

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Seye Omidiora