Dele Alli Reportedly Set to Miss England's Match with Panama Due to Thigh Injury

England midfielder Dele Alli suffered a minor thigh strain in the team's win over Tunisia in the FIFA World Cup on Monday and is reportedly a big doubt for Sunday's clash with Panama. 

As relayed by BBC Sport, the Football Association confirmed the issue after he went for a scan on Tuesday. Alli appeared in discomfort in the first half of the match in Volgograd but remained on the field until the 80th minute.

According to Dominic Fifield of the Guardian, Alli is now unlikely to feature in the match against Panama, potentially paving the way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to start after his impressive cameo on Monday.

"The England medical staff will continue to monitor him over the rest of the week at their base in Repino where he will be treated on site, but the 22-year-old is expected to miss at least two days' training in the build-up to the match in Nizhny Novgorod," added Fifield.

According to BBC Sport's David Ornstein, Alli didn't appear to be in any noticeable discomfort on Tuesday:

England won the match 2-1, with Harry Kane grabbing a brace, one of which was a stoppage-time winner. Alli posted the following on Twitter after the contest:

In the early stages of the game the midfield man was England's brightest performer, as he found space and knitted some of his side's best attacks together.

However, following the knock he appeared inhibited and unwilling to make the same movements that had previously allowed him to escape Tunisia defenders. England toiled at times as a result but snatched the three points late on thanks to the predatory instincts of their skipper.

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Now England boss Gareth Southgate appears to have a big decision to make over his selection. Goal's Harry Sherlock commented on how well Loftus-Cheek performed when given a chance:

Meanwhile, Adam Bate of Sky Sports doesn't think too many alterations should be made and expectations should be kept in check:

Loftus-Cheek, who spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, offers England something different in midfield. With his powerful frame and quick feet, the youngster is a tough man to stop and would cause issues for a Panama defence that struggled in their 3-0 loss to Belgium.

Alli will hope that if he does miss the Panama game he can force his way back into contention later in the tournament. His pedigree for Spurs in the Premier League and sharp start against Tunisia will surely ensure he has a big role to play still.