England walked into this World Cup with a roster built on versatility. Thomas Tuchel wanted 26 players who could do multiple jobs, not duplicates with the same skill set. It was a smart idea on paper. Now it’s being tested in the worst way.
The right-back position has been falling apart piece by piece since before the tournament even started. Tino Livramento dropped out two days before England’s opener against Croatia with a calf injury. That left Reece James as the only natural right back in the squad. Tuchel pulled Trevoh Chalobah off vacation in New York to fill a roster spot, and Jarell Quansah slid over as the backup plan at fullback. It was a patch job from the start.
Then James got hurt. His hamstring gave out after starts against Croatia and Ghana. Classic Reece James luck — the guy can’t stay healthy at the worst times. Now Quansah is banged up too. Neither will play against DR Congo. England has zero fit right backs for a knockout game they absolutely have to win.
Finding a body to play right back
Tuchel tried to sound calm about it yesterday. You find solutions,
he said. Other players will step up and we will push this over the line.
The most likely fix is Ezri Konsa. He’s played more minutes than anyone under Tuchel, but his center back performances this tournament haven’t looked sharp. Konsa has played right back for England before. The idea would be to move him wide and bring John Stones back into the middle next to Marc Guehi.
Another option is Djed Spence. He’s right-footed but was picked for this squad mostly as left back cover. He came on for Quansah after the injury against Panama. Spence can play on the right but his positional discipline has always been a question mark. Trusting him for 90 minutes in a must-win game is a gamble.
This is exactly the kind of thing that happens in tournaments. A position goes from stocked to empty in a week. Tuchel built this squad specifically to avoid duplication of skill sets, and now he’s stuck trying to figure out which center back can fake it on the flank.
Can England get through without them?
The good news is both James and Quansah aren’t far off. Tuchel said they’re close. Quansah might be available for the round of 16. Maybe both return. But England has to get there first.
On a lighter note, Tuchel was asked about a pair of lucky shoes he wore during Chelsea’s Champions League run in 2021. He left them at home this time. It doesn’t fit the story,
he said. It would be a bit artificial. I don’t see the connection.
He might want to find some new ones. Fast.
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