England go into their last-16 tie against Mexico with a real selection issue at right-back. Djed Spence started the last-32 win over DR Congo there, but his role against Mexico vs England is uncertain after he complained of a muscular niggle. Reece James also remains a late call, which leaves Thomas Tuchel short on natural options.
Spence's fitness and James's assessment
The problem is not just one injury concern. James was the only player absent from Saturday's session in Mexico City and has missed the past two matches after a hamstring problem late on against Ghana. Tuchel said James would need a late assessment before he knew whether he was fit enough for the substitutes bench against Mexico.
Spence has also been used heavily across England's last four World Cup matches, logging 180 minutes in that spell. He played 70 minutes against Congo DR and 30 against Panama, so any fresh issue leaves England without much margin at a position they already need to patch up.
Tuchel's fallback options
If neither player is ready, Tuchel's only other option at right-back is Ezri Konsa. He has started all four of England's matches so far at centre-back, and his workload there is already heavy, with 370 minutes across those four starts. Shifting him wide would mean moving one of the few settled parts of the defence.
Tuchel also opted to call up Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah rather than a replacement right-back such as Trent Alexander-Arnold after Tino Livramento left the squad with a calf issue before the tournament started. Chalobah has been active for Chelsea too, with 341 minutes in his last five matches, so he is a live emergency option rather than a cold call-up.
England's recent World Cup form is not the issue here. Their last five results read W-W-D-W-L, but this trip into the Mexico game is being shaped more by who can actually stand up on the right side of the back line. Saturday's assessment on James is the next checkpoint before Mexico.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →