Jamie Carragher has criticised Thomas Tuchel's handling of England's right-back crisis at the World Cup, labelling the call-up of Trevoh Chalobah a 'bizarre' decision that has left the Three Lions short of options in the position.
Daniel Orme Trends Writer
16:20, 04 Jul 2026
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel (Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has slammed Thomas Tuchel's 'bizarre' choice to select Trevoh Chalobah during England's right-back shortage. The Three Lions have encountered multiple difficulties in that position at the World Cup.
Tino Livramento was compelled to pull out due to injury, while Jarell Quansah and Reece James have likewise picked up knocks. Djed Spence has additionally failed to impress.
Ex-England defender Carragher maintains that the predicament is entirely of Tuchel's own creation. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Liverpool icon said: "This all just goes back to Thomas Tuchel's decisions around the right-back area. It's just not been right from day one with the squad that's been picked.
"It's not been clever after the event. He picked two very injury-prone players at right-back, he brought another right-back if you like, Djed Spence, but at left-back. But I think to bring Chalobah in when there were injuries in that position was a bizarre decision. He's not a right-back, so you're going to leave yourself short."
One possible remedy available to Tuchel involves deploying midfielder Declan Rice at right-back. The Arsenal star filled in briefly during the victory over DR Congo, reports the Mirror.
However, Carragher suggests this cannot serve as a permanent fix for Tuchel. He added: "No, I wouldn't start Declan Rice at right-back.
"Look, England have got a slim chance of going all the way in the World Cup, I don't think playing Declan Rice as the right-back from now until the end of the tournament would be the solution.
"To be honest, I think you'd leave yourself so empty in midfield. I thought Elliot Anderson, in the one game when Declan Rice wasn't in there, found it tough dealing with opposition's counterattacks and that was against moderate opposition as well.
England scraped through to face Mexico
England scraped through to face Mexico(Image: Michael Reaves, Getty Images)
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"For me, Declan Rice would play in midfield. (Tuchel) has got a decision to make. I think a lot of criticism Djed Spence has had on the back of the last game is a little over the top.
"He didn't have his best game, I must say that, but I don't think anyone has come out of this tournament so far with flying colours other than Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. I think a lot of the problems that arose in the last game were not so much the back four but how easy it was to get at the back four.
"We know we haven't got an abundance of world class players defensively, now that's probably the weak area of our team, but there was a lot wrong with England in that first 20 minutes and how easy it was to get at the back four."