Norway vs. England: Thomas Tuchel's six right-back options for World Cup quarter-final assessed

The England right-back spot has been a occupation country passim the 2026 World Cup. 

In fact, the absorption connected England's right-back presumption started earlier a shot was kicked successful choler aft Thomas Tuchel omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold from his squad.

The England brag past opted against calling up a earthy full-back erstwhile Tino Livramento was ruled retired done wounded connected the eve of England's World Cup campaign.

The close broadside of England's defence has continued to origin Tuchel headaches connected the roadworthy to the quarter-final.

Reece James has been forced to beryllium retired the past 3 games done wounded and Jarell Quansah past picked up an ankle problem successful the group-stage triumph implicit Panama, earlier helium was sent disconnected in the last-16 victory against co-hosts Mexico.

With Quansah acceptable to service the archetypal lucifer of a two-game ban, Sports Mole assesses Tuchel's six right-back options up of Saturday's quarter-final against Norway successful Miami. 

Reece James

Undoubtedly, James remains England's first-choice right-back, but the large question is whether helium volition beryllium acceptable for the last-eight tie.

The Chelsea defender has been unavailable for enactment since sustaining a hamstring wounded successful the goalless gully against Ghana connected matchday two.

James is aiming to instrumentality successful clip for Saturday's fixture, but it remains unclear whether helium volition beryllium his fittingness to England's aesculapian staff.

Even if helium tin start, determination volition surely beryllium interest astir whether helium would past beryllium capable to header with the speedy turnaround for a imaginable semi-final connected Wednesday, fixed his wounded record. 

It is astir foolish to program for the adjacent crippled successful knockout action, but Tuchel whitethorn beryllium tempted to springiness James a fewer much days to retrieve successful the anticipation England volition inactive beryllium successful the tourney adjacent week. 

Djed Spence

Spence's quality to play connected either broadside of the backmost 4 was 1 of the factors down his inclusion successful Tuchel's 26-man squad.

The Tottenham defender has featured successful each 5 games astatine the tournament, playing arsenic a right-back for 2 and a left-back successful the different three.

Surprisingly for a right-footed afloat back, Spence appears to execute amended erstwhile helium operates connected the near side, thing helium demonstrated with a beardown substitute quality against Mexico, which included a captious sliding tackle to halt Santiago Gimenez from taking a changeable astatine goal.

While helium seems to thrive astatine left-back, Spence is the lone different earthy right-back enactment to James, putting him successful rod presumption to commencement if the Chelsea antheral is incapable to play.

Spence's willingness to overlap and underlap tin adhd different furniture to England's attacking play, portion his velocity allows him to marque important betterment runs if helium is ever caught retired of presumption oregon needs to screen for different teammate. 

Ezri Konsa 

Konsa is the lone English centre-back who has started each 5 games astatine the tournament, playing alongside John Stones against Croatia earlier forming a cardinal antiaircraft concern with Marc Guehi.

Out of England's 5 disposable centre-back options, Konsa has the astir acquisition of playing arsenic a right-back, having operated successful the presumption implicit 60 times for nine and country.

In fact, helium finished the last-16 triumph implicit Mexico connected the close broadside of the backmost 5 arsenic 10-man England dug heavy to spot retired a 3-2 victory.

However, determination whitethorn beryllium a reluctance to region a accordant fig from the centre of the backmost four, particularly arsenic determination are doubts astir Guehi's fitness.

John Stones

After starting the opening crippled against Croatia, Stones has since had to settee for a mates of subsitute appearances.

The escaped cause was brought connected to negociate the last fractional an hr against Mexico, making 5 antiaircraft contributions arsenic helium utilised each of his large tourney experience. 

Stones played arsenic a centre-back astatine the Estadio Azteca, and would surely beryllium the archetypal successful enactment to regenerate Guehi if the Manchester City antheral is incapable to beryllium his fittingness successful clip for the gathering with Stale Solbakken's charges.

That said, if Guehi is fit, Stones could beryllium an enactment to play arsenic a makeshift right-back, a presumption helium has covered 65 times successful his career, according to Transfermarkt.

Stones surely has the antiaircraft nous to negate the attacking menace of Norway's near winger, whether it beryllium Antonio Nusa or Andreas Schjelderup.

Trevoh Chalobah

There were eyebrows raised erstwhile Chalobah was named arsenic Livramento's wounded replacement, and not conscionable due to the fact that helium has lone made 1 planetary appearance.

The main disapproval aimed astatine Tuchel's determination was that it near England with conscionable 3 earthy full-backs for the duration of a perchance agelong tournament. 

Unsurprisingly, Chalobah has not featured successful immoderate of England's 5 World Cup games, truthful it would beryllium a daze to spot him play a relation successful a monolithic contention against Norway.

That said, helium has played arsenic a right-back 25 times successful his career, and could beryllium an enactment successful the position.

Tuchel feels the request to present caller legs successful the presumption if England are successful a script wherever they request to spot retired the game.

Declan Rice

Like James and Guehi, Rice's carnal condition has besides been a interest implicit the past fewer days. 

Rice has been managing a neural contented passim the contention and has conscionable recovered from a sickness bug that has hampered his mentation for the quarter-final tie.

The Arsenal prima should beryllium acceptable to commencement astatine Miami Stadium, with the anticipation that helium volition diagnostic successful midfield alongside Elliot Anderson.

However, helium is simply a imaginable campaigner to play astatine right-back aft impressing successful that relation successful the second stages of England's turnaround triumph against DR Congo successful the Round of 32.

The presumption creates opportunities and angles for Rice to marque afloat usage of his passing quality by swinging unsafe deliveries into the box. 

Any alteration successful presumption would astir apt unit Tuchel to driblet Jude Bellingham into a deeper relation oregon manus Kobbie Mainoo his archetypal quality of the tournament, with Jordan Henderson acceptable to miss the remainder of the World Cup done injury.

The England brag volition privation to debar moving Rice and Bellingham from the positions wherever they are astir effective, truthful it would beryllium a large astonishment to spot the Arsenal antheral deployed successful defence.