Key keywords: Elliot Anderson injury doubt, England vs Panama international friendly, Reece James ruled out, Three Lions squad update, Gareth Southgate team selection, 2024 England international fixtures, Wembley Stadium friendly, Newcastle United midfielder, Chelsea right-back, England men’s national team According to an exclusive report from The Athletic, Newcastle United midfielder Elliot Anderson is a major fitness doubt for England’s upcoming international friendly against Panama at Wembley Stadium next Friday, while Chelsea right-back Reece James has been officially ruled out of the fixture entirely, dealing a pair of minor blows to Gareth Southgate’s squad plans ahead of the March international break. James, who had been named in Southgate’s 26-man squad for the Panama friendly and the subsequent UEFA Nations League tie against Iceland, withdrew from the group on Wednesday after follow-up scans confirmed a mild recurrence of the hamstring issue that kept him sidelined for three matches for Chelsea in February. The 24-year-old full-back, who has struggled with persistent lower-body injuries over the past two seasons, will return to Cobham to complete his recovery under Chelsea’s medical team, and will not be replaced in the England squad for the upcoming fixtures, with Southgate confirming that existing squad members Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker provide more than sufficient cover at right-back. For Anderson, the doubt marks a frustrating twist in what has been a career-defining season for the 21-year-old, who earned his first ever senior England call-up off the back of 32 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions this term, contributing 5 goals and 7 assists as Eddie Howe’s side chases a top-four Premier League finish and a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals. Anderson picked up a minor knock to his left leg during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United last weekend, and initial assessments suggested he would be fit to join up with the England squad, but further testing on Monday revealed a mild strain to his hamstring that will require daily monitoring by the Three Lions medical team over the next seven days. Southgate told reporters during a press conference on Thursday that Anderson remains in the squad for now, and that the coaching staff will make a final call on his availability for the Panama match 24 hours before kickoff. If he is deemed unfit to feature against Panama, the team will retain him in camp to assess his availability for the Iceland match three days later, rather than sending him back to Newcastle prematurely. The upcoming friendly against Panama marks a rematch of the two sides’ 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage clash, which England won 6-1 on their way to a fourth-place finish in the tournament. Southgate has previously stated that he intends to use the friendly to give minutes to less experienced squad members, with Anderson in line for a potential debut if he recovers in time, alongside other first-time call-ups including Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer and Manchester United defender Kobbie Mainoo.