England's right-back headache deepens ahead of Norway quarter-final

The selection struggles on the right flank have haunted Thomas Tuchel from the tournament's outset. With Tino Livramento ruled out early and James hamstrung before a ball was kicked, the manager brought in centre-back Trevoh Chalobah as cover—a decision that may prove costly.

James, England's primary option, hasn't trained for two weeks. Though he's slowly recovering, playing him risks aggravating the injury and potentially ending his World Cup. Any recurrence could sideline him entirely.

Djed Spence carries a minor injury of his own and looked uncomfortable when introduced late against Mexico. His availability for Saturday hinges on recovery over the coming days, according to Sky Sports.

Jarell Quansah is suspended following his red card in that Mexico tie, with an appeal unlikely to succeed at this stage.

That leaves Ezri Konsa as the probable solution. The Aston Villa defender switched to right-back in a back-five formation against Mexico and performed adequately. Using him there again, however, necessitates a complete defensive restructuring, bringing John Stones into centre-back.

Stones has limited match sharpness after sporadic club football and struggled in England's opener against Croatia before being dropped. Still, he recovered well when deployed late against Mexico.

Tuchel cannot finalise his team until he assesses James and Spence's condition over the next few days.