With last season's leading scorer Fredi Kanoute already likely to be ruled out of Saturday's Premiership opener at Anfield with a hamstring strain, West Ham manager Glenn Roeder is now sweating on the fitness of his £3.5 million summer signing from Aston Villa.
Replacing Leeds United's Nigel Martyn, James had only been on the field 58 seconds at the start of the second half, with England already two down, when he made a superb and brave one-handed save at the feet of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
But in stopping a certain third Dutch goal, James was clattered by his fellow defender Martin Keown, who was also injured in the melee on the edge of the penalty area. Both England players left the field with similar injuries, later described by physio Gary Lewin as a "jarred knee".
Although James, winning his fifth cap, did not appear to be in a great deal of pain as he sat upright on the stretcher taking him back to the White Hart Lane dressing rooms, Roeder will be anxiously awaiting further news on the injury with the first game of the new league season looming large.
In a match dominated throughout by the classy men in orange, England were given a lesson in passing, possession play and creative, attacking football.
With Holland in total control it was difficult for another Hammer, Michael Carrick, to make much of an impact in a midfield holding role alongside his former club-mate Frank Lampard after both came on as two of eight subs used by coach Sven-Goran Eriksson at the start of the second period.
In fact, all West Ham fans watching momentarily held their breath again when Carrick was grounded by a late challenge by Patrick Kluivert that resulted in a yellow card for the Barcelona striker but, thankfully, Michael immediately got up none the worse for wear.
The 19-year-old, winning only his second full cap, used the ball intelligently and rarely gave the ball away in another mature performance that will have pleased Eriksson on a night when there was precious little else to enthuse over.