England face Norway on Saturday, July 12th, in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals at Miami Stadium, but Thomas Tuchel will be without his two recognized right backs from the start. The absence of both Reece James and Djed Spence from the lineup has understandably raised concern among England supporters.
James will not start after suffering a hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined for much of the tournament. Although he was able to take part in Friday’s training session, Tuchel has decided against rushing him back into the starting XI, unwilling to risk a setback in a quarterfinal.
Spence, meanwhile, has also been managing a minor injury that caused him to miss training sessions in the buildup to the Round of 16 against Mexico. He was able to contribute some minutes off the bench in that match, but remains short of full fitness and is not ready to start.
With both recognized options unavailable, Tuchel has turned to Ezri Konsa at right back to face Norway. While the Aston Villa defender has primarily been used as a center back at club and international level, he did cover the right back role earlier in his career, and Tuchel is now calling on that experience to fill one of England’s most pressing positional gaps.
Ezri Konsa #2 of England.
England’s right back headache
The problems at right back actually predate the tournament itself. Tino Livramento was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury in training back in June, with Tuchel bringing in Trevoh Chalobah as a replacement, confident that the position was otherwise well covered.
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That confidence was quickly tested. Reece James started all three group stage matches before a hamstring strain ended his run in the team, and he has yet to return for either of England’s knockout games against DR Congo and Mexico.
Djed Spence, the versatile backup capable of playing on either flank, then picked up an injury of his own, further depleting Tuchel’s options. With James unavailable, the German coach turned to Jarell Quansah against Mexico, only for the Bayer Leverkusen defender to be sent off and subsequently handed a two-game suspension.
With James and Spence both short of full fitness and Quansah banned, Konsa has emerged as the only viable solution at right back. It is an experiment born out of necessity, and how it holds up against Norway’s attack remains to be seen.
