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England has a problem. A very specific, very inconvenient problem on the right side of their defense.
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 fixture against DR Congo approaching in early July in Atlanta, Thomas Tuchel is staring down an injury crisis at right-back that nobody in the camp would have scripted before the tournament started.
Reece James is a major doubt after missing training with a hamstring injury. Jarell Quansah limped off during the group-stage win over Panama with an ankle problem. And Tino Livramento had already been ruled out of the entire tournament with a calf issue before either of those setbacks landed. That is three right-back options, gone or going, before England has even played a knockout game.
How England got here
England wrapped up Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama, which should have been a clean, confidence-building result heading into the knockout rounds. Instead, Quansah’s ankle injury during that match turned the win bittersweet. He is now considered likely to miss the DR Congo fixture entirely.
Livramento’s absence is perhaps the cruelest blow in terms of timing. Calf problems pulled him from the squad before he could contribute a single minute, which means England entered the tournament already one right-back light. The Quansah and James setbacks simply made a manageable situation unmanageable.
What Tuchel is left with, as the natural right-back options, is essentially Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur.
Who fills the gap
Spence is now the primary candidate to start against DR Congo at right-back. The other name being considered is Ezri Konsa, who is primarily a centre-back.
There is also a broader question about what this means for England’s attacking output on the right flank. Reece James, when fully fit, is not just a defender. He is one of the best attacking fullbacks in world football, capable of creating chances, delivering crosses, and pushing the opposition back into their own half. Replacing that kind of dual threat with a makeshift option changes England’s shape and ambition on that side of the pitch.
What this means for England’s World Cup run
England topped Group L, which means they enter this knockout round with momentum and with the psychological advantage of finishing first. For England supporters, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s tactical evolution into a midfielder has not fully resolved the question of who plays at right-back at international level, and this injury cluster makes that question feel considerably more urgent.
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