England Suffer Another Defensive Blow
England's World Cup campaign has suffered another setback after Reece James was ruled out of the next two matches with a hamstring injury, leaving Thomas Tuchel facing a growing right-back crisis.
Reece James and Tino Livramento were the preferable right-back options for Thomas Tuchel in the England team. Livramento was already ruled out from the World Cup due to a calf injury sustained in training, and now Reece James will miss at least two games, including the final group match against Panama and the round of 32, reports the Guardian.
Right-Back Options Running Thin
Thomas Tuchel called Trevoh Chalobah after Livramento was ruled out from the tournament and didn’t even prefer Real Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the position; now, with the absence of Reece James, right-back options are limited to versatile left back Djed Spence and right-footed center backs including Chalobah, Ezri Konsa, and Jarrell Quansah.
Reece James has been facing several hamstring issues in the last 5 years, which kept him on the sidelines for most of the time. The player sustained a hamstring injury last March while playing for Chelsea and recovered just weeks before the World Cup.
Tuchel Faces Growing Criticism
Thomas Tuchel is receiving criticism from English fans and legends for playing an injury-prone player like Reece James for full minutes in the first two games of the group stage.
“This isn’t bad luck. This is poor management. You don’t gamble with a player who’s had the injury record Reece has had. You protect him. You manage him properly. " Said former England and Chelsea captain John Terry.
Midfielder Elliot Anderson is also a doubt for England’s final Group L game against Panama with muscle soreness.