Reece James is injured, and Quansah has suffered an ankle sprain. The Telegraph argues that Tuchel's insistence on not bringing a backup right-back has now come at a significant cost to the entire team. With the knockout stages approaching, England's right-back position is on the verge of collapse. It now seems absurd that Tuchel did not select Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Daily Telegraph highlighted the Wilde-ian irony of England's right-back crisis ahead of the Panama match: "Mr Tuchel, losing one right-back can be regarded as a misfortune, but losing two in succession looks like carelessness."

Now the manager risks losing yet another player, with Quansah joining Reece James and Tino Livramento on the injury list. At this rate, 62-year-old Lee Dixon might even be tempted to climb down from the ITV commentary box to fill the void.

When asked about Reece James's unexpected hamstring injury—which will keep him sidelined for at least two World Cup matches—Thomas Tuchel said: "No one could have predicted this would happen."

However, anyone with foresight would have seen that this player accumulated 129 absences for club and country over five years, making him extremely prone to injury at major tournaments. Tuchel has always held James in high regard; during his time at Chelsea, he once admitted he wished he had two Reece James players. Now it is hard not to wonder whether this favouritism has left England in an avoidable situation, facing crucial knockout matches without a world-class right-back available.

During the final half-hour of the difficult Panama match, Spence was temporarily repositioned at right-back. Against Panama—ranked 43rd in the world and the only goalless team in the tournament—this makeshift solution barely worked. However, with Brazil, Argentina, and France to come, this weakened defence risks falling apart soon. Blame will inevitably fall on Tuchel.

He failed to recognize James's physical fragility and should have been aware long ago that Livramento was plagued by injury problems during his time at Newcastle. Yet he still brought both players to the United States, knowing either could be sidelined at any moment. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold's high-profile transfer from Liverpool to Real Madrid caused a stir in the football world, but he is now confined to the bench, wasting away.

It is easy to imagine Alexander-Arnold's frustration as the team had to rely on Spence to save the situation. The 27-year-old has only recently rediscovered his best form, delivering impressive performances at the end of his first season in La Liga, fully demonstrating the complete capabilities of an inverted full-back. But it was too late; Tuchel had not included him in the World Cup squad. When Livramento was injured, Tuchel had the chance to reconsider that decision. Instead, the stubborn German called up centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. With these arrangements, Quansah—who has consistently played as a centre-back for Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen for years—had to step in as an emergency makeshift right-back.

Such an absurd setup shocked Gary Neville, who understands the essence of full-back play intimately. "If someone had told me a few months ago that Quansah would play right-back in a major tournament, I would have thought there was massive chaos in the squad," he said. "I saw Quansah play right-back in the League Cup final, and it wasn't a pleasant sight."

The worst moment came in the 63rd minute when Quansah's ankle gave way. He fell heavily, writhing in pain on the pitch.

This makeshift deployment has already raised questions about his suitability for the position. In the crucial knockout phase, can the team really expect him to defend wingers like Vinicius and Doué? For now, such speculation remains on hold. Quansah appears likely to be ruled out injured, so Tuchel will have to find another solution, perhaps using Spence or Ezri Konsa.

The most frustrating part is that this should never have happened. Alexander-Arnold was always the perfect choice for Tuchel. Having been overlooked by Southgate for years, he deserved this tournament opportunity. He has won two Premier League titles, was transferred to Real Madrid where he won the Champions League four times, and has repeatedly proven his capabilities in crucial club matches. Yet Tuchel chose to try a host of alternative players with higher injury risks.

England ultimately scored two goals to secure first place in their group, temporarily masking a hidden danger that will soon turn into a crisis. The true knockout phase of the World Cup is about to begin, but the right-back position is in complete disarray.

Tuchel's decision to leave Alexander-Arnold out was questionable at the time, and now it looks utterly absurd.

Traduit par IA.

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