Reece James will miss England’s third game at the World Cup after news broke that the right-back has suffered a hamstring injury which means he is a doubt for the next two games.
With the Three Lions all but through to the knockout stages after a 4-2 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw with Ghana, the Group L encounter against Panama this Saturday will determine where they finish in the table.
Thomas Tuchel’s side currently sit top of the group with four points, the same as Ghana, and must better the African nation’s result in the Group L climax in order to clinch the top spot.
Yet, James’s injury now leaves the manager with a decision to make over who will replace him and with Tino Livramento having exited the World Cup before England’s opening game the squad looks short on specialist right-back replacements. Here are four options that Tuchel can turn to:
Djed Spence
Tottenham defender Djed Spence was selected for the England squad due to his versatility across the backline and that has already been proven across England’s opening two fixtures. Against Croatia, he came on midway through the second half as a replacement for Jude Bellingham but slotted in at right-back with James pushed up to defensive midfield. Spence performed solidly and combined beautifully with Bukayo Saka on the right wing as the Three Lions pushed for a fourth goal. In the match against Ghana, Spence was handed a starting berth but at left-back replacing Nico O’Reilly. Though he held his own for the majority of the game, England looked more threatening once O’Reilly replaced him which is perhaps a sign that Spence is more effective in his natural position on the right.
Ezri Konsa
Predominantly a centre-back, the Aston Villa defender is favoured by Tuchel for his ability to perform in multiple positions. He’s filled in at right-back for England before and has the pace to cover against any potential counter-attacking threats. Points against him moving across are that Tuchel may be reluctant to disrupt the centre of his defence. Konsa has been a permanent centre-back through the pre-tournament preparation as well as the opening two fixtures. The decision may come down to whether Tuchel trusts his other options to perform as strongly.
Jarell Quansah
Quansah played right-back sporadically at Liverpool, rarely filling in for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Two notable appearances at right-back came in the 2024/24 season in the 3-3 draw with Newcastle two seasons ago, and then again in the League Cup final, with neither outing going particularly well for the player or team. Though his role with Leverkusen, right of a back three, has afforded him more experience playing on that side of the defence, with German wing-back Montrell Culbreath.
Trevoh Chalobah
The 27th man in the squad now has a path to playing in the World Cup, though the Chelsea defender even admitted after joining the group in Kansas City that his role is a right-sided centre-back under Thomas Tuchel. That’s not to say he cannot fill in at right-back, but should Tuchel shift Ezri Konsah or Jarell Quansah, then Chalobah could slot in if problems emerge at centre-back. Like Quansah, Chalobah has mostly played at centre-back, or right side of a three with his club, though he did feature at right-back in a 3-1 loss to Leeds.
