Thomas Tuchel has expressed concerns about England’s right-back dilemma ahead of their World Cup last-32 match. The issue has worsened with Jarell Quansah sustaining an injury.
Quansah, who filled in for the injured Reece James during England’s 2-0 win against Panama in New Jersey — a game that secured their top place in Group L — unfortunately had to leave the field in the second half, going straight down the tunnel for treatment.
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With their first knockout game approaching on Wednesday in Atlanta (17:00 BST), Tuchel faces a significant challenge. James remains a significant doubt due to a hamstring issue, and with Tino Livramento leaving the squad with a calf injury, Tuchel’s choices for right-back are limited to Djed Spence from Tottenham and Aston Villa‘s Ezri Konsa, who has played as a center-back in all three of England’s matches.
When Livramento exited the World Cup squad, Tuchel chose to call up Chelsea‘s center-back Trevoh Chalobah instead of adding a right-back replacement, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, who previously played for Liverpool.
Tuchel noted it was premature to determine the extent of Quansah’s injury right after the game, but with the last-32 match only four days away, the Bayer Leverkusen defender’s status remains uncertain.
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“It’s a classic ankle twist, and he is clearly in pain,” Tuchel commented on Quansah’s injury. “He mentioned he has experienced this before, so it should be a matter of days. He’s currently resting with his leg elevated and iced.”
“Naturally, I am concerned about the right-back situation — we have yet another injury in that position. It will be a close call for both Reece James and Jarell Quansah, but it’s our responsibility to find solutions, and we will.”