Jarell Quansah was forced off through injury in England's 2-0 World Cup win over Panama in New Jersey, sparking further concern over Thomas Tuchel's lack of options at right-back15:55, 28 Jun 2026The solution to England's right-back curse is staring Thomas Tuchel right in the face. Tottenham's Djed Spence looks set to succeed Reece James in the absence of the sidelined Chelsea captain (hamstring) but surely it's now time for Tuchel to consider shuffling Ezri Konsa across his backline.‌He has already performed the role seamlessly for Aston Villa and Transfermarkt records suggest the 28-year-old has operated as a right-back 66 times across seven different competitions throughout his career.‌Villa, in fact, won four of the five Champions League matches, including a gritty 1-0 triumph over free-scoring Bayern Munich, when Konsa played as a full-back.‌As we enter the knockout phase, there's a firm argument Tuchel still doesn't know his best central defensive pairing, even though Konsa and Marc Guehi have now marshalled England to two successive clean sheets.The German controversially benched Guehi - earmarked as the Three Lions' best defender heading into the World Cup - against Croatia and the backline looked dysfunctional during the first half, conceding two goals in Arlington.Guehi now looks like a shoo-in after providing a timely reminder of his quality but England's defence, which conceded 13 shots against Panama, would look much stronger with the former Crystal Palace captain, Stones and Konsa all included in the same line-up.‌Not just that but they would immediately become more threatening from set-pieces, Jude Bellingham netted the opener from a corner on Saturday in New Jersey, and they would also be better equipped when defending them.Konsa and Stones (who scored two goals from dead-balls against Panama at the 2018 World Cup) can be a nuisance in both boxes, in particular.The former also has a close friendship with Bukayo Saka, so there would be no concerns over a potential lack of chemistry on the right flank because the pair know each other very well.‌Jarell Quansah's injury, a rolled ankle, does not appear serious, and there's a strong likelihood he will recover in time to feature again at the tournament, provided England aren't eliminated against DR Congo on Wednesday.However, the Three Lions can't afford to be chopping and changing all of the time because it prevents Tuchel's stars from developing bonds on the pitch‌They need a template that works and with question marks over James' return, they must find the next-best option for the coming games.While it's wise that Tuchel used the Panama game to cast an eye over Quansah, he does not seem 100 per cent convinced by Spence after twice being captured barking orders at the 25-year-old - once in training and once against Ghana.Spence is a solid full-back, he's fast and can lock up pacy wingers. So too can Konsa, though, and he's vastly experienced having previously been drafted in by England for the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland in Dusseldorf.‌If the Three Lions battle their way into the quarter-finals, all eyes will presumably be placed on nullifying Vinicius Junior against Brazil in Miami.Vinicius has four goals in three appearances at this World Cup and facing him will represent a whole different proposition.‌It won't be a genuine discussion until England make it there of course because based on their past two performances, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be sent home packing within the next week.However, if England are to go the distance, as they aspire to, they need a permanent right-back solution. Konsa is the best candidate to be exactly that.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent