England is at the mercy of injuries.. Tuchel is looking for a “way out” for the full-back position | sports

England national team coach Thomas Tuchel finds himself facing a complex tactical and technical challenge before entering the round of 32 in the World Cup finals, in light of the worsening injury crisis in the right-back position, which reached its peak following the injury of player Jarrell Quansah.

Recent developments have highlighted this dilemma; In the match that ended with England’s victory over Panama by two goals to nothing, Quansah started to compensate for the absence of the injured Reece James. But the “scenario” was not completed, as Quansah was forced to leave in the second half due to his injury, heading directly to the locker room tunnel to receive treatment.

This sudden absence put coach Tuchel in front of a real dilemma before the upcoming round of 32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to Quansah’s unclear condition, Reece James’ participation remains “a major doubt” as he suffers from a hamstring injury.

These absences come at a time when the national team had already lost the services of right-back Tino Liveramento, who left the camp due to a calf injury.

What are Tuchel’s options?

The report issued by BBC Sport indicates that Tuchel’s options available in this position have become very limited, and do not go beyond Jade Spence and Ezri Konsa. Note that the latter was a constant element in the center back position throughout England’s three matches in the group stage.

Tuchel had been subjected to implicit criticism about his tactical choices, especially after his decision to call up centre-back Trevo Chalobah to replace Livramento, instead of including an alternative specialized in the right-back position such as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

After the match, Tuchel tried to reassure the fans, despite the clear tone of concern in his speech. Regarding Quansah’s condition, he said: “It is a classic ankle sprain and he feels pain. He told me that he had suffered this type of injury before, and it was a matter of days. Currently, he places his leg in an elevated position and uses ice.”

When asked directly about the situation of the sensitive position in his squad, Tuchel confirmed: “Naturally, of course I am concerned about the situation of the right back, as we suffered another injury in this position.” He concluded his statements by stressing that the next stage will be a “race against time” to prepare Reece James and Quansah, stressing that “the technical staff’s mission is to find solutions, and we will do that.”