Thomas Tuchel walked into England’s final training session in Kansas City on Tuesday hoping for clarity. Instead, he got another headache.
Reece James and Jarell Quansah both sat out the workout at Swope Soccer Village, leaving the manager scrambling for options at right-back ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup round-of-32 clash with DR Congo. England’s official X account confirmed the two defenders were following individual rehab programs while the rest of the squad trained.
James has been dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him out of the group stage finale against Panama. Quansah replaced him in that match but didn’t make it through the full 90 minutes himself, limping off with an ankle issue. Neither is expected to be available for the knockout opener, according to team sources.
Tuchel Weighs Stopgap Options at Right-Back
With both defenders likely out, Tuchel is looking at Djed Spence, who is naturally a left-back, or Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa to fill in on the right side. Konsa has played centrally for club and country but has the discipline to sit in and defend. Spence offers more attacking thrust but would be playing on his less comfortable flank.
It’s not ideal for a manager who has preached defensive stability since taking the job. But England topped Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama, so the backup plan hasn’t been tested under real pressure yet.
The one piece of good news? Declan Rice was back on the training pitch. The Arsenal midfielder had been rested against Panama while managing a workload issue that included a lingering back problem and nerve pain in his hamstring late in the Premier League season. His presence in the session suggests he’ll be ready to start Wednesday.
Wide Positions Still Up for Grabs
Tuchel also has decisions to make on the flanks. Bukayo Saka made his first start of the tournament against Panama after recovering from an Achilles issue and played alongside Marcus Rashford. Both looked sharp enough, but Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon have been pushing for minutes and could force their way into the lineup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers are also in the mix.
DR Congo will not be intimidated. They made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time, knocking off Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday to book their spot. They’re fast, physical, and have nothing to lose. A win would set up a round-of-16 date with either co-host Mexico or Ecuador, and the tournament is already headed toward a July 19 final in New Jersey that feels a long way off if England can’t solve its defensive problem first.
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