James out of training, Quansah fit for England vs Mexico
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- Reece James missed England's final training session in Mexico City and is following an individual programme, having not trained fully since suffering a hamstring injury in the closing stages of the goalless draw with Ghana that has already kept him out of two matches.
- Jarrell Quansah returned to full training after a hamstring injury picked up in the draw with Panama and is available for selection against Mexico on Monday (01:00 BST), easing Thomas Tuchel's right-back concerns.
- Djed Spence started at right-back in the victory over DR Congo, but midfielder Declan Rice finished the match in that position, highlighting the makeshift nature of England's right-back options.
- Declan Rice, who has been managing a hamstring issue, is set to be available for the last-16 tie at the Azteca stadium.
- Quansah, capable of playing centre-back or full-back, gives Tuchel positional flexibility that James's absence had stripped from the squad going into the knockout stage.
Why it matters: With James, the first-choice right-back, still not training fully and Rice having been forced into emergency right-back duty against DR Congo, England's defensive shape at the Azteca hinges on Quansah's fitness. The Azteca venue and knockout-stage stakes raise the cost of another defensive reshuffle if Quansah's hamstring flares up again.
