✓ VERIFIED — Djed Spence plays for Tottenham Multiple sources confirm Djed Spence currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a right-back/left-back in the Premier League, having signed in July 2022 with a contract extending to June 2029. (Wikipedia, Transfermarkt, FotMob, Tottenham Hotspur official website)
✓ VERIFIED — Quansah plays for Bayer Leverkusen Jarell Quansah transferred to Bayer Leverkusen on July 2, 2025, signing a five-year deal for £30 million plus £5 million add-ons from Liverpool, and currently plays as a centre-back for the Bundesliga club. (Wikipedia, FotMob, WhoScored, Transfermarkt)
Factual sports reporting from BBC. One minor ambiguity about club affiliations in a sentence structure, but all core facts are clearly stated in source. High confidence overall.
sports · lumee
England loses right-backs Quansah and James for DR Congo
England will be without two key right-backs for Wednesday's World Cup knockout tie against DR Congo, with both players ruled out through injury.
The short version
Jarell Quansah (twisted ankle from Panama match) and Reece James (hamstring injury from Ghana draw) both unavailable
Match is Wednesday 1 February at 17:00 BST in Atlanta, broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer
Djed Spence and Trevoh Konsa likely to cover the right-back position
2
England right-backs out of DR Congo match
Wednesday, 17:00 BST
Kick-off time in Atlanta
3rd
Group game where Reece James was injured (vs Ghana)
What happened
England will face DR Congo in the World Cup last-32 without right-backs Jarell Quansah and Reece James. Quansah suffered a twisted ankle in England's 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday and did not train on Tuesday, while James was ruled out after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 0-0 draw with Ghana. Although manager Thomas Tuchel had previously suggested James could return for the knockout tie, he has now confirmed the Manchester City defender will not be available.
Context
England have experienced notable squad disruption during this tournament. Right-back Tino Livramento withdrew before the competition began with a calf issue and was replaced by Trevoh Chalobah. This latest injury blow means Djed Spence, who has featured as left-back in England's group matches, and Konsa—a regular starter since Tuchel's appointment in January—will need to cover the right-back berth.
Both sides
Bull
Spence has already played 90 minutes of competitive football in this tournament and brings recent match fitness; Konsa has established himself as a reliable option under Tuchel.
Bear
Losing two dedicated right-backs reduces defensive flexibility and depth at a critical stage of the competition.
In plain words
Two of England's best right-back defenders are injured and won't play in Wednesday's important knockout game. The team will have to use other players in that position, which means they'll have fewer specialist options on the bench if something goes wrong during the match.
What may happen
Spence shifts to right-back
Djed Spence, who has played left-back in the group stage, moves across to right-back for the DR Congo match, with England adjusting their defensive shape accordingly.
scenario - not a prediction
Konsa starts at right-back
Trevoh Chalobah or another defender covers left-back, allowing Konsa to anchor the right-back position where he has featured since Tuchel took charge.
scenario - not a prediction
Injury recovery before knockout rounds
Quansah or James recover from their injuries in time to be available for England's potential quarter-final match, restoring full defensive depth.
scenario - not a prediction
⚠ Disputed / unconfirmed:
Quansah came off with a twisted ankle in England's 2-0 win over Panama... with Spence replacing the Bayer Leverkusen defender — Source describes Quansah as 'the former Liverpool player' not as a Bayer Leverkusen defender. The Bayer Leverkusen reference appears to apply to Spence contextually, but the sentence structure is ambiguous about who plays for which club.
Source: feeds.bbci.co.uk · original
Generated 2026-07-01 04:32 · lumee