With England facing Norway, the absence of both Reece James and Sjed Spence in the starting lineup raised some eyebrows among fans. 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.
*Developing story…