James Expected to Return for England's Norway Quarter-Final
England manager Thomas Tuchel anticipates that Reece James will be fit to participate in the World Cup quarter-final match against Norway scheduled for Saturday at 22:00 BST.
Tuchel's challenge at right-back has deepened following Jarell Quansah's red card during England's 3-2 victory over Mexico on Sunday. The Bayer Leverkusen defender's suspension rules him out of England's upcoming knockout fixture in Miami.
James has not yet resumed full training after sustaining a hamstring injury in England's second group stage match against Ghana. Consequently, he missed the subsequent games against Panama, DR Congo, and Mexico.
However, there is growing optimism that the 26-year-old Chelsea captain can return to full training this week, potentially alleviating England's difficulties at right-back.
Following Quansah's dismissal in the 54th minute in Mexico City, Ezri Konsa, who has started every England game at centre-back, was deployed as a right wing-back to cover the position.
Throughout the five matches played so far, a range of players including James, Djed Spence, Konsa, John Stones, Quansah, and midfielder Declan Rice have been utilized as right-sided defenders. Prior to the tournament, Tino Livramento was sidelined due to a calf injury.
While Konsa and Spence remain available options for Tuchel, the anticipated return of James is welcome news, as he is widely regarded as England's first-choice right-back.
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