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

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 30 : 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.