England's right-back problem has become a knockout-round issue before England vs Congo DR. Jarell Quansah and Reece James both missed training, with England heading into the last-32 tie without two players they had hoped to use on the right side.

Quansah twisted his ankle in the final group-stage win over Panama on Saturday. James has a hamstring injury and has not yet resumed training since picking it up in the 0-0 draw with Ghana.

The injury picture for England

The immediate picture is messy, but not empty. Thomas Tuchel has previously said James could be in contention for the Congo DR match, although his lack of training since the injury makes that look doubtful. England are dealing with a shortage, not a complete lack of options.

Djed Spence looks the likeliest stopgap because he has already been used in both full-back positions at this tournament. He played the last 10 minutes of England's opening group win over Croatia at left-back, then replaced Quansah at right-back in the 63rd minute against Ghana.

That is why his name has moved to the front of the queue. Djed Spence has already been trusted in two different roles in the same tournament, while Ezri Konsa has 3 World Cup appearances in 2026 and 277 minutes. He is not a cold emergency call-up, and that gives Tuchel a more realistic patch-up option if Spence is moved elsewhere.

Tuchel's squad balance question

The wider issue is the one Tuchel has already had to manage. On the eve of England's first game, Tino Livramento withdrew from the squad with a calf issue and Trevoh Chalobah was called up in his place. Then James and Quansah missed training before the Congo DR match.

Tuchel has already heard the questions about whether the squad's make-up is balanced enough, and the full-back area is where those questions keep landing. England have gone through the group with different defenders filling in each match, which has left the knockout tie against Congo DR looking far more awkward than it should have.

England's next confirmed game is against Congo DR on 1 July, and Tuchel has a decision to make on the right side before then. Spence is the most obvious stand-in, with Konsa another workable option if England need to reshuffle again.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →