Tuchel's Azteca Plans Thrown Into Chaos

Reece James will not train with England's main squad today. The Chelsea captain is set for an individual session at Club Universidad Nacional's training base, as reported by Daily Mail Sport. This is a massive setback for Thomas Tuchel's defensive plans ahead of a high-altitude showdown against Mexico in Mexico City.

James has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since the 0-0 stalemate with Ghana on June 23. The starting right-back was supposed to return for the knockout stages. Now, he is highly unlikely to start the round-of-16 clash at the Azteca Stadium, where the altitude reaches over 2,200 meters above sea level.

The right side of England's defence has turned into an absolute disaster zone. Before the tournament even started, Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento returned home with a calf injury. His replacement, Liverpool's Jarell Quansah, twisted his ankle against Panama and has not played since.

Tottenham's Djed Spence was forced to shift from his left-back deputy role to start against DR Congo in the Round of 32. The results were messy, though England eventually secured a 2-1 victory. DR Congo scored in the seventh minute by repeatedly targeting Spence's flank, exposing the lacks in England's defensive structure.

Declan Rice filled in as an emergency right-back in the latter stages of that game to see out a nervy victory. Tuchel had suggested both James and Quansah were close to being available, but those hopes have evaporated. The Three Lions are now facing a severe right-back emergency at the worst possible time.

The match is scheduled for Monday morning UK time (Sunday local time), but it was nearly shifted due to forecast storms in Mexico. FIFA faced extreme fury from fans and the FA over the proposed changes, before a U-turn was completed to keep the 1am UK kick-off. Marc Guehi, the Crystal Palace defender, admitted that Mexico should be considered favourites under these circumstances.

Carragher Rips Into Tuchel's 'Bizarre' Squad Selection

Pundit Jamie Carragher did not hold back when analyzing the situation on Sky Sports News, blasting the England manager over his bizarre squad decisions. Carragher criticized Tuchel for selecting two highly injury-prone right-backs in his initial squad. He also called the decision to call up centre-back Trevoh Chalobah as cover "bizarre."

Carragher argued that Chalobah is not a natural full-back and left England exposed. He also rejected the idea of playing Declan Rice in the back four. Rice was forced to fill in there late against DR Congo but Carragher says doing so permanently would empty England's midfield.

"This all just goes back to Thomas Tuchel's decisions around the right back area. It's just not been right from day one with the squad that's been picked. It's not been clever after the event. He picked two very injury-prone players at right back, he brought another right back if you like, Djed Spence, but at left back. But I think to bring Chalobah in when there were injuries in that position was a bizarre decision. He's not a right back, so you're going to leave yourself short."

Carragher pointed out that without Rice in the center, the midfield struggled. Elliot Anderson found it tough to stop counterattacks against moderate opposition. England's defensive options look extremely thin as they prepare for the altitude of Mexico City.

Marc Guehi has already admitted that Mexico should be considered favourites for the game due to the home crowd. Mexican fans have already leaked England's hotel location to disrupt their sleep ahead of the last-16 match, leading to security concerns for the squad. England's players are facing severe altitude challenges and scheduling chaos after a U-turn on the kick-off time.

Carragher was particularly vocal about how this affects England's overall tournament chances. He insisted that the Three Lions have only a "slim" chance of going all the way if they continue to make such basic errors in squad building. He noted that other than Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, very few English players have come out of the tournament with flying colours.

Kone's Horror Injury and Canada's Locker Room Shuffling

England are not the only team dealing with catastrophic physical setbacks at this World Cup. Canada's campaign was rocked by a horrific injury to midfielder Ismael Kone. The midfielder suffered a broken tibia and fibula against Qatar.

The injury occurred after a brutal challenge from behind by Assim Madibo. Madibo was shown a straight red card and handed a five-match suspension. One of Jesse Marsch's assistants ran to the officials yelling that Kone's leg was hanging off.

Kone underwent surgery and will not feature for Les Rouges for the remainder of the World Cup. But just ten days after the break, the Canada midfielder was spotted dancing in the locker room without crutches. He even hobbled onto the pitch to celebrate Canada's victory over South Africa in the Round of 32.

Madibo was visibly upset by the outcome of his challenge and made a personal apology to Kone in the locker room area after the match. Fans on social media were stunned by Kone's dancing, with one posting: "Bros leg snapped in half n he out here dancing." Kone later took to Instagram to thank fans for their prayers.

Canada's dream run ended shortly after. Morocco eliminated the co-hosts in the Round of 16 with a dominant second-half display in Houston. But Kone's recovery remains one of the most remarkable side stories of the tournament.

Tillman's Cleat U-Turn and the Wider World Cup Injury List

USA midfielder Malik Tillman had his own scare during their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tillman revealed a last-second boot change was needed after an opponent stepped on him. The midfielder was seen with a bloody sock with a hole in it after the game.

Tillman changed his boot and immediately scored a stunning free-kick in the second half. The German-born star downplayed the injury as "just pain" but it highlights the physical toll of the knockout stages. USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be without Folarin Balogun for their next game due to a red card.

Tillman's boot change was a legendary moment for US fans at Levi's Stadium, who watched the midfielder strike a perfect free-kick with a brand-new boot. Meanwhile, on the transfer front, Andoni Iraola's Liverpool remains relatively quiet after signing Victor Munoz from Osasuna for ยฃ34.5million and Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for ยฃ60million. They have missed out on Yan Diomande, who chose PSG, and are now set to lose out on Bradley Barcola to Arsenal.

The tournament's physical demands are already affecting club transfers. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Milan are closely watching player fitness. Milan manager Ruben Amorim has reportedly made Virgil van Dijk a top target.

Liverpool are open to offers for the 35-year-old captain, who is no longer considered untouchable. Meanwhile, Arsenal are leading the race for PSG's Bradley Barcola. Barcelona paid a fee of 150 million Euros for Ousmane Dembele, who is now shining in a winger role for France.