After a brave defensive performance against Mexico in the round of 16, the England team is aiming for the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match against Norway. However, before this confrontation, coach Thomas Tuchel has to face a headache when the defense is devastated by injuries and suspensions.
After the victory over host Mexico, the England players were given 2 days off to recover both physically and mentally. At Tuchel's request, the whole team temporarily put aside football, spending time relaxing with family and friends. The players enjoyed their break by sunbathing, visiting cafes and strolling around the park near the hotel, while Tuchel himself was also caught cycling relaxing.
However, when the break ended, the whole team quickly returned to focus on the big challenge named Norway. What worries the coaching staff the most is the right-back position, where England is facing a serious personnel shortage.
Right before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, Tuchel had to face a difficult problem on the right flank when the two main options, Tino Livramento and Reece James, both had injury history. The decision to call up center-back Trevoh Chalobah to replace Livramento also did not really bring a solution to the problem.
Bad luck continues to surround the "Three Lions" when they successively lose players due to injury and suspension. Reece James has not trained for two weeks due to thigh muscle strain and although he is recovering, the possibility of him participating in the match against Norway is still uncertain. Even when he is eligible to play, the Chelsea defender is almost unable to play the full 90 minutes due to the risk of injury recurrence.
Meanwhile, Djed Spence also had physical problems and missed some training sessions before the match against Mexico. He only came on as a substitute and has not reached his best condition. Whether Spence recovers in time will directly affect Tuchel's personnel plan.
Difficulties piled up when Jarrel Quansah was suspended after a red card in the match against Mexico. Although the England team is considering the possibility of appealing, the opportunity for FIFA to change its decision is almost non-existent.
If James and Spence cannot start, Ezri Konsa is likely to continue to take the right-back position as at the end of the match against Mexico. This means John Stones will return to play center-back. However, the Manchester City center-back is still in the process of regaining his form after a long period of injury break.
Against Mexico, the England defense had a commendable performance. They played 47 minutes with 10 players but only let the opponent create 0.01 expected goals (xG, penalty not counted). However, the upcoming challenge will be completely different.
Erling Haaland is a threat to every defense. The Norwegian striker promises to create much greater pressure, in the context that England's defense is seriously damaged. If they want to win a ticket to the semi-finals, Tuchel's team will need another excellent defensive performance, and at the same time hope that key players will recover in time.
The match between Norway and England takes place at 4:00 AM on July 12 (Vietnam time).
