FIFA World Cup 2026: Reece James was injured and will miss England’s final group match against Panama

Thomas Tuchel will be without Reece James for England’s final Group L World Cup match against Panama on Saturday due to injury, but the coach said Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson were all available in his side to seal progress.

England top the group with four points, level with Ghana, with Croatia in third place with three and Panama bottom with no point.

Tuchel confirmed James has not traveled with the squad and said the right-back would definitely miss the match, although he hopes he can return later in the tournament.

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“He has a slight hamstring injury,” said Tuchel. “He hasn’t been able to train for the past two days.

«He is following an accelerated rehabilitation programme. We will take it one match at a time, but we strongly believe he will be available for us again in the tournament.»

«No one saw that coming. Reece felt good and was in good shape. We would like Reece, he is a good player and we will look for solutions. That is what we do.»

Tuchel said James could be available for the round of 32 but admitted the timeline was “tight”.

There were also concerns about Rice and Saka, while Anderson had minor problems after England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana. However, Tuchel said the rest of the squad was in contention.

“Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson trained with us today,” he said. «They had little problems after the game, but everyone is available for us, except Reece James. We will make a decision tomorrow.»

On Saka, Tuchel added: “He is now completely free of discomfort and is ready to go.”

Anderson has also been the subject of transfer speculation, with British media reporting a possible big-money move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City. Tuchel said England would not allow it to become a distraction before the match in Panama.

“The reality is that transfers happen and big transfers take time,” he said. «We understand that things are going on. We will facilitate the transfer, but after the match, not before.»

Tuchel warned that Panama, despite already being eliminated from the tournament, would not be direct opponents.

He described them as «a well-trained team» and said they can «play under the underdog tag without pressure.»

Published on June 27, 2026