Soccer-Quansah, James absent from England training before World Cup last-32 match

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group L - Panama v England - New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - June 27, 2026 England's Reece James arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Mike Segar

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 30 (Reuters) - ⁠England defenders Jarell Quansah ‌and Reece James missed training on Tuesday ahead of their World Cup round-of-32 ​clash with Democratic ⁠Reublic of Congo, ⁠leaving manager Thomas Tuchel facing defensive ⁠concerns ‌before Wednesday's knockout match.

Quansah is struggling with ⁠an ankle injury he suffered during ​England's ‌2-0 win over Panama in ⁠their ​final group game on Saturday, while James was sidelined for ⁠that game after hurting ​his hamstring in a 0-0 draw with Ghana in their previous ⁠game.

Both are following individual training programmes, England's Football Association said.

The absence of both players from ​Tuesday's session ⁠is a blow for England, whose ​defensive frailties have ‌been a concern ​in the tournament.

(Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Toby Davis)