Thomas Tuchel Faces Right-Back Dilemma Ahead of World Cup Knockout Match
Thomas Tuchel’s plans for England’s biggest night of the World Cup so far have been thrown into late turmoil, with Djed Spence emerging as a fresh injury doubt just hours before kick-off against Mexico at the Azteca.
The right-back, expected to start in a position already ravaged by problems, is now unlikely to make the XI, according to Sky Sports, after nursing an issue that has put his involvement in serious doubt.
Right-back crisis deepens
England’s World Cup has been stalked by misfortune on that flank from the moment Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw before a ball was kicked. Since then, Jarrel Quansah and Reece James have both picked up injuries, leaving Tuchel to juggle options in a position that should have been straightforward.
Now Spence, who trained with the squad and was not flagged as a concern in Tuchel’s pre-match press conference, appears to have joined the casualty list. The late twist leaves England considering an emergency reshuffle on the eve of a World Cup knockout tie in one of football’s most intimidating arenas.
The likeliest solution? Declan Rice at right-back. Out of position. In a World Cup last-16 tie. At altitude. In front of a Mexico side that has scored freely and not conceded once.
If Tuchel resists that gamble, the alternative is a bold one: the fit-again Quansah thrown straight back into the starting line-up to deal with the most dangerous man in green.
Whoever is picked will stare straight into the path of Julian Quinones. Three goals already, Mexico’s left winger has been the sharp edge of a team that has surged into the last 16 with four wins from four. He is central to the co-hosts’ hopes of another famous Azteca night.
Tuchel’s calm face, chaotic backdrop
Publicly, Tuchel cut a calm figure when he spoke on the eve of the game. There was no mention of Spence. No hint of a fresh concern.
“Reece is maybe on the bench tomorrow, let’s see,” he told talkSPORT, before insisting: “But everyone else is fully available.”
He went on to confirm: “Jarell trained and is fully available. Reece can maybe make it on the bench, but we need a last assessment from the doctors and a medical opinion.”
Those words painted a picture of clarity. The reality now looks far more complicated.
If Rice is dragged from midfield to plug the gap at right-back, it opens another hole in the middle of the pitch. Jordan Henderson or Kobbie Mainoo would then be in line to step in, with Rice vacating his partnership with Elliot Anderson in the engine room.
If Quansah is trusted to start at right-back, Rice can remain alongside Anderson, preserving the core of a midfield Tuchel clearly likes. Either way, the tactical puzzle has arrived late, and it has arrived in a position Mexico will target relentlessly.
Team almost picks itself – almost
Beyond the right side of defence, Tuchel’s team sheet is largely written in ink. Jordan Pickford is nailed on in goal. Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi are set to form the rest of the defensive line in front of him.
In midfield and attack, the spine is untouchable: Anderson, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are among those guaranteed to start in a side built for control and incision.
The real debates, aside from right-back, lie out wide. On the left, Anthony Gordon is pushing hard to dislodge Marcus Rashford, whose place suddenly feels less secure. On the right, Noni Madueke faces the very real prospect of losing his starting berth to Bukayo Saka, a player Tuchel knows can change the tone of a game in a single run.
These are selection headaches managers welcome. The one at right-back is anything but.
Walking into the cauldron
Tuchel has embraced the stage. From the moment England touched down in Mexico City, he has spoken about the sense of occasion, the emotional charge that clings to the Azteca whenever the World Cup rolls into town.
“It’s even nicer than I expected. It just catches you straight away,” he said. “Once we landed here and saw the excitement and emotions. The commitment of people for the World Cup.
“I felt straight away that this will be a proper World Cup match tomorrow. We knew it before. We are in an iconic place, an iconic stadium. A massive knockout game against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium. It’s an iconic match and a big stage and we feel it.
“We know about the situation. We spoke about it. We will take care of what needs to be taken care of and we need a strong performance and I think we will have one.”
He will need it. Mexico have turned their home into a fortress once again. Four games, four wins, no goals conceded at this World Cup. El Tri have lost only two competitive matches at the Azteca since it opened in 1966. The numbers are brutal, the message clear: you do not stroll in here and dictate terms.
Tuchel knows exactly what he is up against.
“We know everything about the Mexican team. They are now in the top 10 in the world rankings. They have [had] some good results in the last matches. Not only now in the World Cup but especially since March where they played Belgium, Portugal. Top-tier nations.
“I think we are prepared. We saw the strengths. We [will] try to exploit weaknesses like always, but we are full of respect, but we also believe in us. We need to play the best version offensively and defensively that we showed until now in moments of every match. Tomorrow we will bring it together for a top performance that we need to achieve our goal to beat Mexico.”
Quarter-final carrot, Azteca trap
Waiting on the other side of this storm is a quarter-final in Atlanta against either Brazil, five-time world champions, or Norway. It is the kind of path that defines summers and careers.
First, though, England must solve their right-back riddle, silence a feverish Azteca, and knock out a Mexico side that has forgotten how to concede on home soil.
For Tuchel, stripped of certainty in one of the most exposed positions on the pitch, the question is stark: can England bend this iconic stadium to their will, or will the Azteca claim them like so many before?
