England Faces Right-Back Crisis Ahead of World Cup Clash with Mexico
Thomas Tuchel’s carefully laid plans for England’s World Cup last‑16 tie with Mexico have been jolted by yet another problem in the one area he can least afford it: right-back.
On the day of a knockout game at the Azteca, with a nation’s nerves already frayed, Djed Spence has emerged as a fresh fitness doubt. According to Sky Sports, the Tottenham full-back is nursing an injury and is now unlikely to start, deepening a selection headache that has stalked England since before a ball was even kicked in this tournament.
Right-back crisis deepens
The position has been cursed for weeks. Tino Livramento never made it to the World Cup, forced to withdraw before the squad even assembled. Once the campaign began, the bad news kept coming: Jarrel Quansah and Reece James both picked up injuries, stripping Tuchel of his natural options on the right side of defence.
Now Spence, who had appeared to be the last fully fit specialist for the role, has joined the casualty list. The timing could hardly be worse. Waiting for whoever lines up at right-back is Julian Quinones, Mexico’s three-goal livewire from the left, a direct, fearless runner who has carried much of the co-hosts’ attacking threat.
The likely consequence is an England reshuffle. Declan Rice is being lined up for an emergency stint out of position at right-back, or Tuchel may gamble on the fit-again Quansah from the start. Either way, it is a compromise in a game where Mexico’s wide threat demands clarity, not improvisation.
Tuchel’s public calm, private puzzle
What makes the Spence twist even more striking is that Tuchel gave no hint of trouble in his pre-match press conference. On the eve of the tie, he spoke confidently about his squad’s condition, declaring Rice fit and James close to a return to the bench. Spence had trained with the group as normal.
“Reece is maybe on the bench tomorrow, let’s see,” Tuchel told talkSPORT. “But everyone else is fully available.”
He expanded on that theme, saying: “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 a coach with options. The late concern over Spence redraws that picture entirely. Instead of fine-tuning, Tuchel is now forced into contingency planning on the very day England step into one of football’s most intimidating arenas.
If Rice does drop to right-back, the dominoes fall in midfield. Jordan Henderson or Kobbie Mainoo would be in line to step into the engine room. Should Quansah be trusted to start on the flank, Rice would likely stay alongside Elliot Anderson in the centre, preserving a partnership Tuchel has leaned on throughout the group stage.
Team almost picks itself – except in key spots
Away from the right side of defence, Tuchel’s team sheet is largely set. Jordan Pickford will wear the No.1 shirt in goal. Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Anderson, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are all locked in as starters, the spine around which England’s campaign has been built.
The remaining arguments are higher up the pitch. On the left wing, Anthony Gordon is pushing hard to dislodge Marcus Rashford, whose form has flickered rather than burned. On the right, Noni Madueke’s place is under real threat from Bukayo Saka, a player with a history of delivering in big tournament moments and a natural balance on that flank.
Tuchel has choices there – good ones. But they are the kind of decisions coaches enjoy: form, chemistry, tactical nuance. At right-back, it is bare necessity.
Azteca stage, Mexico in full stride
All of this unfolds against a backdrop that needs no embellishment. The Azteca Stadium. Mexico in a World Cup knockout game. The air thin, the noise thick, the history almost tangible.
Tuchel has felt it too.
“It’s even nicer than I expected,” he said of Mexico City and the tournament atmosphere. “It just catches you straight away. 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 more than that. Mexico arrive in perfect World Cup form: four games, four wins, no goals conceded. El Tri have turned the Azteca into a fortress over decades, losing just two competitive matches there since it opened in 1966. They are now ranked in the world’s top 10 and have sharpened themselves against heavyweights like Belgium and Portugal since March, collecting results that demand respect.
Tuchel is under no illusions.
“We know everything about the Mexican team,” he said. “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.”
The stage is set, the opponent is in stride, and England’s right flank is patched together on the fly. In a stadium that has defined World Cups, Tuchel must now discover whether his makeshift solution can withstand Quinones, the altitude, and a Mexico side that has forgotten how to concede.
