Reece James limps off as Argentina end England's World Cup hopes in semi-final

England’s World Cup semi-final ended in a 2-1 defeat to Argentina, with Thomas Tuchel’s side now facing a third-place play-off against France on Saturday and fresh concern over Reece James’s fitness.

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute, and Tuchel’s side appeared to be holding firm until Enzo Fernandez equalised with five minutes of normal time remaining. Lautaro Martinez then struck the decisive blow for the 2022 champions, completing a comeback that ended England’s hopes of reaching the final.

James, who had already missed three matches in the tournament with a hamstring problem, went down in the 80th minute and required attention from the England team doctor. It was unclear whether the Chelsea captain was suffering from cramp or had aggravated the existing injury, but Tuchel moved quickly to withdraw him, replacing James with Dan Burn as part of a sweeping defensive reshuffle that also saw Nico O’Reilly and Ezri Konsa introduced.

James had not started a game since England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in the group stage, returning only as a substitute in the quarter-final victory over Norway before being handed a starting place in the semi-final. He was unable to complete the match.

Tuchel was expected to provide an update on James’s condition in his post-match press conference, with England’s medical staff now assessing whether the defender will be available for the third-place fixture against France.