Tuchel faces a right-back crisis ahead of the clash with Congo
England arrive at Wednesday’s game against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the round of 16 of the World Cup, without a fit right-back. Three consecutive absences have turned the position into a headache for Thomas Tuchel – and the solution is still not clear.
Three absentees, one position
It all began even before the tournament started, when Tino Livramento dropped out of the England squad with a calf injury. Reece James, called up to cover the absence, made a good start – he played the first two rounds – but felt his hamstring and was left out against Panama. Now, he is also not fit to face the Congolese.
What looked like a manageable problem turned into chaos when Jarell Quansah, improvised in the role, hurt his ankle during the last match and had to be substituted. Tuchel confirmed the situation bluntly at the press conference: “A classic ankle sprain, he’s in pain. He said his leg is elevated and iced.”
Both – James and Quansah – missed Tuesday’s training and are out of the game in Atlanta. England take to the field at the Atlanta Stadium without a natural right-back available in the squad.
Improvised solutions on Tuchel’s bench
The German coach has few cards to play. The most likely: move Ezri Konsa from central defence to the right side and rebuild the defence with John Stones in the middle, alongside Marc Guehi. Another option is to bring in Djed Spence – called up as a left-back – and adapt him to the opposite flank. It is not ideal. But it is what is available.
In midfield, at least one piece of good news: Declan Rice returns after being rested against Panama. With the holding midfielder back, Jude Bellingham should move out of the central playmaker role and return to attacking midfield, where he performs better. The wings remain open – Bukayo Saka is competing with Noni Madueke on the right, while Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford battle for the left flank of the attack.
The line-up expected behind the scenes is as follows: Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
More than bad luck: a worrying pattern
Reece James’s case deserves separate attention. The Chelsea player carries an extensive history of muscular injuries – over the last three years, he has rarely managed to string together an uninterrupted run. Even so, Tuchel bet on him as a starter, and the full-back delivered in the first two rounds. The relapse now is frustrating, but it hardly surprises anyone who follows his career.
England reached the knockout phase with consistent results, but the right-back crisis exposes the fragility of the squad planning. With three options in the position out of action at the same time, any tactical detail can prove costly in a knockout game. Tuchel knows this. “It’s our job to find solutions, and we will find them”, the coach assured. The question is whether the solution will work when the whistle blows.
