Thomas Tuchel is running out of healthy right-backs, and fast. With Reece James and Jarrell Quansah both ruled out of England’s World Cup group match against DR Congo, the manager has confirmed neither is ready to return just yet. The update came during Tuchel’s pre-match press conference in Atlanta, where he addressed the team’s growing injury list ahead of the knockout rounds.
It’s not just the two guys currently unavailable. Tino Livramento was originally on the squad list but had to pull out the day before England’s tournament opener against Croatia. That’s three right-backs out before the group stage is even over. For a team with World Cup aspirations, that’s a problem.
Tuchel said both James and Quansah are getting closer. He actually saw them on the training pitch, which is a good sign. But he made it clear they aren’t there yet. “They are getting closer and closer,” Tuchel said. “I saw both of them on the pitch. Jarell is a little bit ahead of Reece in the nature of the injury. But the race was close even to make it into the squad this time. So we need to make sure we have more matches, and then they will be available very soon.”
That last part is the key. England needs to advance deep into the tournament for those guys to actually contribute. If they crash out early, this whole conversation is moot.
Who Plays Right-Back Against DR Congo?
For now, Tuchel is scrambling for a solution. The most likely candidates to fill in at right-back are center-back Ezri Konsa or left-back Djed Spence. Neither is a natural fit, but that’s where the squad is right now. Tuchel didn’t sound panicked about it. He’s been around long enough to know these things happen in tournaments.
“You find solutions. It is a team sport,” he added. “We would love to have Reece and Jarell with us, but they are injured at the moment. Other players will step up and we will push this over the line.”
That’s the kind of thing a manager says when he’s trying to keep the locker room confident. But the reality is England is one injury away from having a real emergency at a crucial position. Konsa is a capable defender, but asking him to play wide in a World Cup match is not ideal. Spence is more comfortable going forward but can be exposed defensively.
What This Means for England’s World Cup Run
The good news is Quansah appears to be closer to returning than James. If England can get through the group stage without dropping points, they might have both guys back for the knockout rounds. But that’s a big if. DR Congo is not a pushover, and playing with an improvised right-back is a risk.
Tuchel didn’t give a timeline for either player’s full return. He just said they’ll be available “very soon” if England keeps winning. That puts the pressure on the guys on the field right now. No room for error.
The lineup against DR Congo will tell us a lot about how Tuchel views his options. If he goes with Konsa, he’s prioritizing defensive stability. If he goes with Spence, he’s looking for width and attacking threat. Either way, it’s not the plan he drew up when he named the squad.
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