Jarell Quansah, the England defender, is set to sit out Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway. If England advances to the semi-finals, he will also be unavailable following a two-match suspension issued by FIFA.
The Bayer Leverkusen player received a straight red card during the round of 16 victory over Mexico, a decision finalized following a VAR review. His absence presents a significant selection dilemma for manager Thomas Tuchel regarding the right-back position.
Reece James, the Chelsea captain and the squad’s only specialist right-back, has missed three consecutive matches due to a hamstring injury. He was absent from Wednesday’s training session, casting doubt on his availability for the next round. While Djed Spence and Quansah have filled the void, both have faced difficulties.
During the latter half of the Mexico game, Ezri Konsa moved to the right-back role. He is a candidate to start there on Saturday, which would allow John Stones to step into central defense. The English Football Association is reportedly looking into an appeal, noting that FIFA previously suspended a ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after intervention from President Donald Trump.
Tuchel expressed frustration regarding the inconsistency of disciplinary rulings, questioning where the governing body draws the line for overturning suspensions.
