England's right-back crisis ahead of Congo DR clash
England await on Wednesday
Your team faces England in the World Cup last 32 on Wednesday (1) (2) (3). The draw against Portugal got Congo DR here. Now it is knockout football, and England are dealing with problems at the back.
England's right-back crisis
Jarell Quansah is likely out with an ankle injury (1). Reece James and Tino Livramento are also injured, leaving England thin at right-back ahead of Wednesday (1). Declan Rice is set to start in midfield (2). Jordan Pickford made one thing clear: "We don't want penalties" (6).
Lumumba and his lookalike
Superfan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, known as Lumumba, missed the Portugal match after a visa denial kept him out of the US. A fan who looks like him showed up at the stadium instead (4). Lumumba has now arrived in North America and is expected in the stands against England.
Fan reactions
The DR Congo superfan story caught attention beyond the pitch. Supporters on r/worldcup shared frustration over the visa denial, while Arsenal fans on r/Gunners focused on Rice starting for England, some uneasy about facing the DR Congo side that held Portugal. More on the Rice news and the Lumumba story.
Sources
- 1. theguardian.com — England’s right-back problems deepen with Jarell Quansah likely to miss DR Congo tie
- 2. bbc.co.uk — Rice set for England start against DR Congo
- 3. ge.globo.com — Inglaterra x RD Congo - Copa do Mundo 2026 - globoesporte.com
- 4. abola.pt — Depois de visto negado, 'Lumumba' teve sósia no jogo da RD Congo
- 6. theguardian.com — ‘We don’t want penalties’: Pickford backs England’s attacking approach