Reece James has spent most of England’s World Cup campaign watching from the sidelines due to injury concerns.

The Chelsea right-back featured for the full 90 minutes in both of the Three Lions’ opening group matches against Croatia and Ghana but sustained a hamstring injury during the latter fixture.

As a result, James has missed England’s last three games, sparking fears that he might not be ready for the World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Norway scheduled for Saturday at 10pm BST.

England manager Thomas Tuchel faces a pressing issue at right-back, with Jarell Quansah suspended after receiving a red card in the round-of-16 victory over Mexico and Djed Spence enduring a difficult outing against DR Congo in the last 32, which visibly frustrated the head coach on the touchline.

Having James back in contention would be a major boost for Tuchel, particularly with Norway’s Erling Haaland and his attacking teammates posing a significant threat. Encouragingly, there is growing optimism within the England camp about his availability.

According to BBC Sport, the 26-year-old returned to full training on Thursday for the first time since suffering his hamstring injury against Ghana. Although he did not complete the entire session, he is expected to be named in England’s squad for the quarter-final in Miami, provided he experiences no setbacks over the next 36 hours.

Tuchel will be particularly keen to have his first-choice right-back fit, especially with Antonio Nusa — one of Norway’s most dynamic attacking players — expected to operate on the left flank. However, if James is unable to play the full match, Tuchel can still call upon Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, or Trevoh Chalobah to fill the role.

Throughout his career, Reece James has struggled with recurring injuries that have limited his international appearances to just 26 caps since making his England debut in October 2020.

Nevertheless, the defender is hopeful of contributing on Saturday as England aim to reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history. Should they overcome Norway, the Three Lions would advance to face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-final in Atlanta next Wednesday, with that quarter-final kicking off at 2am BST on Sunday.