Full Breakdown
England's Right-Back Crisis Looms Ahead of Knockout Stage
6/28/2026, 9:09:24 PM
Right-Back Crisis
England entered the round-of-32 with one specialist right-back after a series of injuries. Chelsea captain Reece James had a hamstring problem, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento withdrew before first match, and Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah limped off with an ankle twist in the 2-0 win over Panama.
Background & Squad Selection
Livramento’s calf injury forced his removal. James suffered a hamstring strain against Ghana on 19 June, and Quansah’s ankle twist occurred on 22 June versus Panama. Tuchel also left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the 26-player roster, limiting specialist options.
Timeline
- May 2026 – Livramento withdrawn (calf).
- 19 June – James hamstring vs Ghana.
- 22 June – Quansah ankle twist vs Panama.
- James missed 14 club matches this season; 812 days out over three years.
Impact
The shortage forces Tuchel to use Djed Spence, centre-back Ezri Konsa or Trevoh Chalobah at right-back, limiting width and crossing. Against DR Congo, the lack of a natural right-back could expose defensive gaps.
Official Statements
Tuchel said the squad faces “a tight race” for both James and Quansah and that “it is our job to find solutions”. He called Quansah’s problem a “classic ankle twist” and named Spence the “only real option” at right-back.
Criticism
Gary Neville called Quansah’s deployment a “big mistake”, Danny Mills criticised the choice of Chalobah over a specialist, and Roy Keane warned knockout games need “masters at these positions”, not “jack-of-all-trades”.
Conflicts
Some outlets said Quansah walked off but later moved freely, while Tuchel said he was in pain. James is listed as a “major doubt”, yet other sources say he could return for later knockout rounds. No official medical timelines have been released.
Quotes
- “Naturally! We have another injury in the position. It will be a tight race for Reece James and a very tight race for Jarell Quansah.” — Thomas Tuchel, pre-match press conference
- “He has suffered a classic ankle twist and he is in pain.” — Thomas Tuchel, post-Panama interview
- “The one position I think I am pretty qualified to speak on is right back and if you had said to me a couple of months ago that Quansah would be playing right-back for England in a tournament, I would say something has gone badly wrong.” — Gary Neville, pundit
- “When you start getting into knockout games, you don’t want a jack-of-all-trades. You need masters at these positions.” — Roy Keane, former Ireland captain
Next
England’s next match is the round-of-32 against DR Congo in Atlanta on 1 July. Tuchel is expected to start Spence at right-back, with Konsa or Chalobah as backups, while monitoring James and Quansah’s recovery for possible involvement later in the tournament.
