England have enough to worry about going into a World Cup last-16 tie without key players going missing in training, but here we are. Reece James has been absent from the session on the eve of the Mexico game, and that is a genuine headache for whoever is picking the team. Whether it is Gareth Southgate or someone else in the dugout by now, losing James at this stage is far from ideal.
James, when fit, is probably England's best right back and has been for a while. The problem is that fitness has always been the catch with him. Chelsea fans know it better than most. He is the sort of player who can completely change the shape and ambition of an England side going forward, so if he cannot go, it leaves a real gap down that right side that someone will have to fill without quite having the same quality.
The better news is that Jarell Quansah is fit again and available for selection. The Liverpool centre back has had a decent rise through the ranks and gives the manager options at the back. He might not walk straight into the starting eleven, but having him available means England are not stretched quite as thin at the back as they could have been. Depth matters at a World Cup and getting a player back from injury at the right moment is always a boost.
Mexico will not be a pushover in the last sixteen. They are a well-organised side who are hard to break down and they will fancy their chances against an England team dealing with a late fitness scare. The Mexicans will know all about the James situation before kick off, and you can bet they will be targeting that right flank if he does not play.
England will probably still have enough to get through, but it is far from a guaranteed stroll into the quarter finals. The squad needs to be sharp, settled and ready to work hard for ninety minutes. A fit and firing James would have made that a lot easier. Let me know your thoughts.