England were without one of their best players for their Round of 32 clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Reece James suffered a hamstring injury in England’s second group-stage game against Ghana and missed the next match against Panama.
Unfortunately, James has earned a reputation as one of the most injury-prone players in the Premier League.
The Chelsea captain has dealt with many injuries in the last few seasons, although he stayed fit for most of the 2025/26 campaign.
However, James has suffered another injury at the wrong time for England, with the World Cup knockout rounds already happening.
The latest on Reece James’ fitness before England’s World Cup match against Mexico
Reece James and Jarell Quansah were not available for selection for England’s Round of 32 tie with DR Congo.
While James is dealing with a hamstring problem, the Bayer Leverkusen defender is recovering from an ankle injury.
Thomas Tuchel announced in his pre-match press conference that Quansah is slightly closer to returning than James.
“They’re getting close. I saw both of them on the pitch,” Tuchel said. “Jarrell is a little bit ahead of Reece, but the race was close, even to make it into the squad this time.
“We need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus, and then they will be available very soon.”
This suggests that Quansah will probably be available for England against Mexico in the Round of 16 if they get there.
James might be in a race against time to face Mexico this weekend, but it sounds as though he could be available for a potential quarter-final.
The right-back will surely be doing everything he can to return as soon as possible to have an impact on the World Cup.
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