England's Right-Back Crisis Leaves Tuchel Exposed Before Mexico Test

Djed Spence has become the fourth player in England's right-back reckoning to break down before Sunday's last-16 World Cup tie against Mexico, leaving Thomas Tuchel with no fully fit, in-position specialist for one of the most exposed roles on the pitch. The Tottenham defender, who started the last-32 win over DR Congo in the role, has reported a muscular niggle and his availability for the Azteca is now in doubt.

It caps a chaotic few weeks at right-back for England. Reece James remains a doubt with a hamstring issue, Jarell Quansah is only just back from an ankle problem, and Tino Livramento was sent home before the tournament even began. Whatever Tuchel decides for Sunday's game, it will not be the plan he wanted.

England's right-back crisis, position by position

The scale of the problem only becomes clear when you line up the timeline. This is not one injury. It is four separate breakdowns at the same position inside a single tournament cycle.

Livramento's early exit

Livramento, Newcastle's first-choice right-back, was ruled out with a calf issue before England's opening game, forcing Tuchel into an emergency reshuffle of his defensive options before a ball was kicked.

James's stalled recovery

James picked up a hamstring problem late in the goalless draw with Ghana and has missed the last two matches. He has not trained fully with the squad since, following what the Football Association described as an individual programme away from the main group. Tuchel confirmed on Saturday that James would need a late assessment before any decision on involving him even as a substitute.

Quansah's return, Spence's setback

Quansah missed the DR Congo game with an ankle injury and is now available again, though he is a centre-back by trade, not a right-back. Spence, who filled in against DR Congo, is now the one with fitness doubts. Consider the pattern:

• Livramento: calf injury, sent home before the tournament
• James: hamstring problem, missed two matches, still not training fully
• Quansah: ankle injury, missed one match, now fit but out of position
• Spence: muscular niggle, doubtful for the Azteca after starting the last-32 tie

Spence himself has been shuffled around throughout the tournament, starting at left-back in the draw with Ghana before coming off the bench against Croatia and Panama. That versatility has masked the depth problem until now. It cannot mask it any longer.

The Alexander-Arnold question Tuchel can't avoid

The uncomfortable truth for Tuchel is that this crisis was foreseeable, and arguably avoidable. When Livramento withdrew before the World Cup began, Tuchel chose to call up Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah, a centre-back, rather than bring in a recognised right-back replacement such as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

A squad-building call that looks exposed

At the time it was framed as a like-for-like positional swap that added defensive cover elsewhere. Four injuries later, at right-back specifically, it reads very differently. England now have Chalobah in the squad as insurance for the centre of defence, a position that is comparatively well stocked, while the right-back slot has been stripped bare.

Tuchel has not hidden his unease about this. Speaking after Quansah's injury ruled him out of the DR Congo match, the manager admitted he was worried about England's right-back options heading into that game. That was before Spence's own issue emerged.

Tuchel had already conceded he was "worried" about the right-back position before the DR Congo tie, even with Quansah as a fallback. That anxiety now looks entirely justified.

Why the decision matters now

This is not simply bad luck stacking up. It is a squad-planning decision that removed a specialist option at the exact position now suffering the most attrition, in a knockout match against a Mexico side that will look to attack down the flanks in front of a hostile crowd at altitude.

What are Tuchel's options against Mexico?

With Spence a doubt, James unproven fitness-wise, and Quansah out of position, Tuchel's realistic choices are limited and each carries risk.

Konsa the makeshift option

Ezri Konsa is Tuchel's only other body at right-back, but the Aston Villa defender has played every minute of the tournament so far at centre-back. Shifting him wide would solve one problem while creating another, disrupting a central defensive pairing that has started all four matches together.

A formation reshuffle

England's defensive uncertainty could also open the door to a change of system entirely. A back three, or a set-up that uses a converted centre-back in a double-pivot role wider than usual, would allow Tuchel to protect his makeshift options rather than exposing one man in isolation against Mexico's width.

None of these solutions are clean. All of them represent a downgrade on what a fit, specialist right-back would offer against a Mexico team playing with home advantage and a raucous Azteca crowd behind them.

What happens next

Spence's fitness will be assessed in the build-up to kick-off, with Tuchel expected to give a clearer team news update closer to Sunday's tie. James's involvement, even from the bench, remains dependent on a late fitness check after a fortnight without full training.

Whatever England field at right-back, the position will be under scrutiny throughout the match. Mexico will look to test it early, and if England's defence is breached down that flank, Tuchel's decision to overlook a specialist replacement when Livramento withdrew will resurface immediately.

The bigger picture extends beyond one game. If England progress past Mexico, this right-back situation needs resolving fast, because the alternative is entering the quarter-finals with the same makeshift arrangement that got them there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Djed Spence fit to play against Mexico?
Spence's fitness is unconfirmed as of the latest update. He has a muscular niggle after starting the last-32 win over DR Congo at right-back, and his availability for the Azteca tie will be assessed closer to kick-off.

Why isn't Trent Alexander-Arnold in England's World Cup squad?
When Tino Livramento withdrew from the squad before the tournament with a calf injury, Thomas Tuchel opted to call up centre-back Trevoh Chalobah rather than a specialist right-back replacement like Alexander-Arnold. That decision has come under scrutiny as England's right-back options have been depleted by injury.

Is Reece James playing against Mexico?
James is a doubt. He has missed England's last two matches with a hamstring injury sustained against Ghana and had not trained fully with the squad as of Saturday. Tuchel said a late assessment would determine whether James is fit enough even for the substitutes' bench.

Who could play right-back for England against Mexico?
With Spence doubtful and James unproven fitness-wise, Tuchel's main alternative is Ezri Konsa, who has started every match of the tournament at centre-back. Jarell Quansah is fit again after an ankle injury but is also a natural centre-back rather than a right-back.

When do England play Mexico in the World Cup last 16?
England face Mexico in the last 16 on Sunday night, with kick-off at 01:00 BST on Monday, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

Has Jarell Quansah recovered from injury?
Yes, Quansah is available again after missing the DR Congo match with an ankle injury sustained during the group-stage win over Panama. However, he is a centre-back by trade, not a specialist right-back option.

Could England change formation because of the right-back injuries?
It is a genuine possibility. With no fit specialist right-back available, Tuchel could shift to a back three or reposition a centre-back wider to manage the shortage, rather than relying solely on Ezri Konsa or a returning Spence.