Double injury concern emerges after England’s second World Cup group game

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England will assess the fitness of Reece James and Declan Rice before their final World Cup group game against Panama.Key midfielder Rice was spotted limping out of the Boston Stadium with heavy strapping around his calf following the Three Lions’ goalless draw with Ghana on Tuesday.Rice has been in the wars with his fitness at this summer’s World CupGettyReece James is another of England’s injury worriesGettyAccording to BBC, this isn’t thought to be a major concern, with Rice’s long-term involvement in the World Cup not believed to be at risk.However, it is still understood to require assessment and rest before England come to a decision over his involvement against Panama.Thomas Tuchel’s side take on the world’s number 34-ranked nation on Saturday, and the manager and his staff will have to weigh up the risks of playing Rice.The Arsenal star was also taken off in the game against Croatia, who later revealed he has been battling nerve pain in his hamstring.View Tweet: https://x.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAs for James, he will also require assessment as England head into their next match in New Jersey.The 26-year-old completed the full game against Ghana but will be checked by medics over the next 24 hours.Chelsea’s captain has a history of injury, having recovered from a hamstring issue in time for the World Cup, and his load will be monitored closely.James has suffered a staggering 10 hamstring injuries since December 2020, but enjoyed a far better time of things fitness-wise this season.The right-back made his most appearances in a campaign since 2020/21 this term, featuring 39 times in all competitions.Night to forgetRice and James’ fitness worries come less than 24 hours after both received less than favourable reviews in England’s disappointing draw with Ghana.Rice was far from his best against GhanaGettyA consistently-high performer, Rice was handed a brutal 2/10 rating by talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham in his post-match player ratings.And James didn’t fare much better, who was judged to have put in a 3/10 performance as the Three Lions came in for huge criticism.After kicking off their tournament with a statement 4-2 win over Croatia, England were brought back down to earth as they lacked ideas and cutting edge in Boston.talkSPORT’s Durham raged at full-time: “What a load of rubbish that was”, with Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon bearing the brunt of his frustrations.England now head to New York to face Panama in their final Group L game needing a win to guarantee top spot.This is a developing story and is being updated.For the latest updates, breaking news alerts, and comprehensive analysis, refresh this page or follow our real-time news coverage by watching and listening to talkSPORT live.For broader context, explore related coverage on our homepage for the top trending stories. For the latest talkSPORT videos, download the app.talkSPORT cares about getting it right, not just getting it first and because this is a developing situation, details will change. We will be updating this page constantly with verified info, expert takes, and official statements.Stay tuned for further developments as this story continues to break.