England will be without right-backs Jarell Quansah and Reece James for the World Cup last-32 tie against DR Congo due to injury.
Neither player trained on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s match in Atlanta (17:00 BST), which will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.
Manager Thomas Tuchel may again select Djed Spence at right-back, or shift Aston Villa’s adaptable Ezri Konsa from the centre of defence.
Tuchel said both are nearing fitness, with Quansah slightly ahead of James in his recovery.
He added it was a close call to include them this time, but the priority is progressing so they can be available very soon.
Quansah left the field with a twisted ankle during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Panama, with Spence replacing the Bayer Leverkusen defender.
The former Liverpool player was making his World Cup debut after Chelsea’s James was ruled out
with a hamstring injury sustained in the 0-0 draw with Ghana in England’s second group game.
Tuchel had suggested James might be in contention to face DR Congo, but has now confirmed he will not feature.
The issues at right-back have intensified scrutiny of Tuchel’s squad choices, with questions raised about the balance of the group.
On the eve of England’s opener, Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento
withdrew from the squad with a calf problem, leading to a call-up for Trevoh Chalobah.
Tuchel explained Chalobah was summoned as a central defensive option, with Quansah and Spence covering the full-back roles.
Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was overlooked; injuries limited him to one appearance under Tuchel and he was not involved in the pre-tournament squads.