James Out: England's Right-Back Nightmare Deepens

The Chelsea captain limped off late in Tuesday's 0-0 draw. He couldn't leave the pitch. Tuchel had already blown all his substitutions. Sky Sports says James won't be back until deep in the knockout phase. So, he's out. Definitely missing the group stage finale against Panama. Count on it.

This isn't new. England's back line was already a wreck. Backup right-back Tino Livramento got himself crocked before the tournament with his own hamstring issues. So Tuchel dragged in centre-back Trevoh Chalobah as emergency cover. Now James is gone too. Tuchel's options? They’re getting weirder by the day.

Sure, Djed Spence is there. A body, at least. But Tottenham's man was picked to cover Nico O'Reilly, a left-back. Not exactly a natural fit. Jarrell Quansah and Ezri Konsa, both centre-backs, can play on the right. A stopgap. But shunt Konsa over, and you rip apart England's preferred central defensive pair. It's a lose-lose.

James, credit to him, hasn't flown home for treatment. He's sticking with the squad, swearing he’ll be fit for the later rounds. A nice thought. But Tuchel has to plan for the knockouts now. And his back line? It’s stretched thinner than my patience with VAR.

England's right-back problem is a total disaster. And there are other headaches. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson? Both are getting a once-over after that Ghana match. It never ends.