Reece James is a doubt for England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday after he was once again unable to train with the squad on Wednesday.
The right-back has been unavailable since he injured a hamstring in England’s second group game, the 0-0 draw against Ghana in Boston. Thomas Tuchel knew he would be without him for at least two games – and most likely a potential last‑16 match, as well, which is what happened. James played no part in the epic victory against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
James has been targeting a return in the quarter-finals but it was not a positive sign to see that he followed an individual programme away from the main group in Kansas City where England are based. Tuchel has a major problem at right-back. Jarell Quansah started in the position against Mexico but he was sent off and is banned for the Norway game.
Declan Rice and Marc Guéhi also trained individually on Wednesday but there is less concern over their involvement against Norway. Rice has managed nerve pain in a hamstring since Christmas and was forced to sit out the third group game, the 2-0 victory against Panama. He has maintained that he is able to play on through the discomfort. Guéhi’s absence from team training was attributed to muscle fatigue.
Jordan Henderson has returned to the England camp in Kansas City rather than head home after his grisly arm fracture. The midfielder sustained the injury in a freak fall following the Mexico game and remained in Mexico City to undergo surgery. He remains eager to help the squad with his leadership and experience. It has been presumed that Henderson will not play again at the tournament, although his teammate Morgan Rogers suggested the players were not yet ruling him out.
“Him coming back just shows exactly what he’s like as a person,” Rogers said. “Hopefully he can still be involved with us going through the rest of the tournament. He’s not going to rule himself out and neither are we. The belief he’s got in his own body, his ability, his confidence … the way he is and what he represents as a person is massive to our group. He’s the heartbeat of the group.”
Tuchel and the players enjoyed a mini‑break after the emotion and physical exertion of the Mexico match, with Rogers saying everybody was “a bit tired and a bit dead afterwards”. There was a warm-down session in Kansas City on Monday and a complete day off on Tuesday when the players were able to spend time with their families.
England have flown in and out of Kansas City for every match and Rogers said the benefits of having a fixed base camp were clear. Norway have taken the opposite approach and are travelling from venue to venue. “The only con is the travel on the way back,” Rogers said. “You just want to get to your bed as quick as possible and sometimes that might take longer than others.
“The positives are massive – it feeling like home, it feeling warm. You can just relax and chill and you know your surroundings and space. We enjoy getting back. It’s really worked well for us.”
Rogers also had a warning for Norway, saying Jude Bellingham, who has been in explosive form so far during the tournament, is ready to impose himself on the quarter-final and, more broadly, is only going to get better. “Of course he can,” Rogers said. “He’s only 23. His prime years are ahead of him. There’s a long way to go, and he’ll probably say the same, as well.
“What’s so exciting is just how far he can go; how there is no cap on what he can achieve. I’m not surprised [at his World Cup performances] and neither is anyone in the squad … how he’s taken big key moments in games. You need your best players to stand up and he’s done that in pretty much every game so far.”
