Thomas Tuchel Faces Right-Back Dilemma Ahead of England vs Mexico
Thomas Tuchel’s plans for England’s World Cup last‑16 showdown with Mexico have been jolted by yet another blow at right-back, with Djed Spence emerging as a fresh fitness doubt on the eve of the tie at the Azteca Stadium.
Sky Sports report that Spence is nursing an injury and is unlikely to start, deepening a problem position that has dogged England since before a ball was kicked at this tournament. Tino Livramento’s withdrawal pre‑tournament set the tone; the setbacks to Jarrel Quansah and Reece James since the campaign began last month have turned it into a full-blown headache.
Now Spence has joined the casualty list and Tuchel is staring at an unwelcome choice on the biggest of stages: shift Declan Rice out to right-back, or throw the now fit-again Quansah straight into the role. Either way, whoever gets the nod will be staring down one of the form players of this World Cup – Mexico’s three-goal left winger Julian Quinones, the sharp edge of the co-hosts’ attack and central to their hopes of a famous night in Mexico City.
Selection smoke and mirrors
What makes the late concern over Spence even more striking is that Tuchel had given no hint of trouble in his pre-match press conference. On the contrary, he sounded almost relaxed as he ticked off names returning to fitness.
“Reece is maybe on the bench tomorrow, let’s see,” he told talkSPORT, adding that “everyone else is fully available.” Spence had trained with the group, the Tottenham full-back going through the full session alongside his team-mates. Tuchel later underlined that “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 suggested clarity. The late injury concern around Spence has provided anything but.
If Rice is pushed to right-back, the dominoes fall in midfield. Jordan Henderson or Kobbie Mainoo would be the obvious candidates to step in, with Rice vacating his usual partnership with Elliot Anderson in the middle of the pitch. Should Tuchel instead trust Quansah to start on the flank, Rice would likely remain in his familiar engine-room role alongside Anderson.
Across the rest of the pitch, though, the England manager’s team almost picks itself. Jordan Pickford, the undisputed No.1, will start in goal. In front of him, Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi are locked in as defensive pillars. Anderson, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane form the spine further forward, the names inked in rather than pencilled.
Big calls on the flanks
The real intrigue, beyond the right-back puzzle, lies out wide. On the left, Anthony Gordon is pushing hard to dislodge Marcus Rashford, whose place no longer feels untouchable. On the right, Noni Madueke faces a serious challenge from Bukayo Saka, who is straining to reclaim a starting shirt on a night made for match-winners.
These are the kind of decisions that define knockout ties. Get them right and a campaign gathers pace. Get them wrong at the Azteca, against a Mexico side in full flow, and the price could be brutal.
Tuchel, though, has been energised rather than cowed by the setting. The German spoke with obvious relish about the scale of the occasion as England chase a quarter-final berth, where Brazil or Norway await in Atlanta next Saturday.
“It’s even nicer than I expected. It just catches you straight away,” he said of Mexico City. “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.”
Fortress Azteca, flawless Mexico
England know exactly what they are walking into. Mexico have been flawless so far at this World Cup: four wins from four, not a single goal conceded. El Tri have turned the Azteca into a fortress over decades, losing only two competitive games there since the stadium opened in 1966.
Tuchel is under no illusions about the scale of the task.
“We know everything about the Mexican team. They are now in the top 10 in the world rankings,” he said. “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 words are bullish. The reality is harsh. A patched-up right flank must somehow contain Quinones, silence a baying Azteca and keep England’s World Cup on course.
For Tuchel, and for a defence held together by late fitness calls and tactical reshuffles, there could hardly be a more unforgiving examination.
