Jarell Quansah is likely to miss England's World Cup last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday due to an ankle injury, compounding Thomas Tuchel's right-back troubles. The Liverpool defender was forced off during the second half of England's group-stage win over Panama last Saturday after twisting his ankle, casting doubt on his availability for the knockout round.
Right-Back Crisis Mounts
Tuchel's plans have been severely disrupted by a series of injuries. Tino Livramento withdrew from the squad earlier this month with a calf problem, and Reece James tweaked a hamstring last week, ruling him out of the DRC match. James, who started England's first two Group L games, is also increasingly unlikely to feature in a potential last-16 tie against Mexico or Ecuador on the following Sunday in Mexico City.
Against Panama, Tuchel replaced James with Quansah, but the Bayer Leverkusen defender's World Cup debut was cut short. The 23-year-old was substituted by Djed Spence after the injury and is now a major doubt for Wednesday. While Tuchel expressed optimism about Quansah's recovery, sources believe the last-32 clash comes too soon.
Spence Likely to Start
With Quansah and James expected to be unavailable, Djed Spence is likely to start at right-back. Tuchel values the versatile Tottenham defender, who featured in all three group games as England topped their group with seven points. An alternative would be to shift Ezri Konsa to right-back and pair John Stones with Marc Guéhi in central defence.
Stones has played only five times for Manchester City in the second half of last season and has not featured for England since their 4-2 win against Croatia in the tournament opener. When asked if Stones could start against the DRC, Tuchel said: “Yeah, for sure. Why not? He was even in consideration to start [against Panama] but then it would have been the third change in the central defence in the third match, and I thought I’d stick with the pair because I saw them good against Ghana – and I saw them good against Panama.”
Bellingham Shines as Key Player
Tuchel expressed confidence that Jude Bellingham has fully embraced his approach and can continue to make a difference at the World Cup. The Real Madrid midfielder scored the opening goal in the 2-0 victory against Panama—his second of the tournament—and provided an assist for Harry Kane. Bellingham, who earned his 51st cap, played in a slightly deeper role as Morgan Rogers started alongside his childhood friend for the third time under Tuchel.
“I’m not sure if it’s a reaction but it is what we want from him,” Tuchel said. “He was very positive from the first day in camp. He buys fully into all the things we demand as a team player, and then he brings his own individual quality to decide football games. That’s what you see in World Cups now, and what you see from other teams and other big players. We have it in him and he’s a key player … So well done until now. He needs to keep going.”
England's Adaptability Key
England have returned to their base in Kansas City to prepare for the DRC match. Marcus Rashford is expected to retain his place in attack after a positive performance on the left. Tuchel refused to confirm his best team, emphasizing adaptability. “I know my starting 15,” he said. “And from there I build and I see the energy on the training pitch and I see what the output is from match to match. Then we see what the opponent brings and how we need to react. But I see good performances and detail out there against very physical opponents, and I think we will find solutions when they are needed.”
“With a new stage of the tournament, it starts new again. It’s knockout football. It brings its very own tension, its very own dynamics. We’ll prepare for that and be ready for it,” Tuchel added.
