Chelsea captain Reece James is awaiting the results of a scan on a hamstring injury to determine how long he will be ruled out for.
talkSPORT reports that James will miss England’s World Cup group-stage match against Panama, with the severity of the issue still being assessed.
The setback comes after England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana, where James completed the match before later reporting hamstring discomfort.
Chelsea Face Familiar James Concern
For Chelsea, this is the injury update they did not want before Xabi Alonso officially begins work at Stamford Bridge.
James had built an encouraging rhythm across the season and started both of England’s first two World Cup matches. That made his tournament workload an important part of Chelsea’s summer watch.
Read Chelsea has already looked at why James’ early contact with Xabi Alonso matters for Chelsea’s captaincy picture, and this injury now adds a sharper medical layer.
England must now adjust without their starting right-back against Panama, while Chelsea will wait for clarity on whether this is a short-term issue or something more damaging.
The priority for Alonso is obvious. James’ quality is not in doubt, but Chelsea need availability as much as leadership when the new era begins.
