England right-back injury concerns have intensified ahead of their crucial FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo, with both Jarell Quansah and Reece James ruled out due to injury setbacks. The lack of a pair of natural right backs creates a tactical predicament at a key knockout level, requiring changes in the defensive formation. Both of them were not available to select due to missing the final training session ahead of the game in Atlanta, manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed.
This leaves a short-term weakness in defence in the wide area, especially when transitioning into attack. In turn, Djed Spence has become the main alternative. Spence already has some experience in the knockout as he played in England’s last group stage game, but not much of it at high pressure. Instead, Ezri Konsa is being considered for a change of role to a right-back, where he would be considered more of a defensive force than a winger. Tuchel said both of them are recovering well, with Quansah recovering a bit quicker than James.
The technical staff, however, are more interested in the long-term availability of their squad than the risk of getting them hurt, so there will be a cautious medical approach, driven by tournament longevity. Adaptability is going to be a huge challenge from a competitive point of view for England who will need the first choice right backs to be available. Now, however, squad depth and flexibility in positions are the key factors as the squad moves into crunch time knockout football.
