Reece James struggled before the World Cup knockout match

Coach Thomas Tuchel expressed concern about the England team's right-back situation before the knockout match at the 2026 World Cup, when Jarell Quansah became the latest case of injury. Quansah played in place of Reece James, who was also injured, in the 2-0 win against Panama in New Jersey, helping England win first place in Group L. However, Quansah had to leave the field in the second half and immediately went to the tunnel to receive care.

This injury leaves Tuchel facing a difficult situation with just four days left before the first knockout round match in Atlanta next Wednesday (17:00 BST). Reece James is a big doubt for this match due to a hamstring injury, and Newcastle defender Tino Livramento has had to leave the squad due to a calf injury. The only options Tuchel has left at right-back are Tottenham's Djed Spence and Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, who has played at centre-back in all three of England's matches.


When Livramento left the team, Tuchel decided to call on Trevoh Chalobah, Chelsea's midfielder, instead of bringing in a replacement right-back, like Trent Alexander-Arnold, a former Liverpool player currently playing for Real Madrid. Tuchel said it was still too early to assess the severity of Quansah's injury immediately after the match, but with the knockout match just four days away, the player's ability to play remains uncertain. "It's a typical ankle turn and he's in a lot of pain," Tuchel said of Quansah's injury. "He said he had had this injury before and it usually only took a few days to recover. He raised his leg high and was applying ice.

"Of course, I'm very worried about the team's right-back situation. We have another injury at this position. It will be a tight race for Reece James and Jarell Quansah, but our job is to find a solution and we will do that."

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