Jarell Quansah injury: How long England defender could be out for as Thomas Tuchel delivers update

England manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed concern over Jarell Quansah's injury following the defender's withdrawal against Panama in the Three Lions' final World Cup Group L game.

Knowing that a win in East Rutherford would almost certainly guarantee top spot in the section, England overcame Panama 2-0 to progress to the last 32 in first place.

Quickfire second-half goals from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham made the difference for a rotated England side, who made four changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Ghana last Wednesday.

One of those alterations saw Quansah come in for the stricken Reece James, who has picked up another hamstring injury amid fears that he could also miss a couple of knockout games for England.

However, the Bayer Leverkusen defender then joined James on the treatment table early in the second half, as Quansah limped off with an apparent ankle injury following a tangle with Panama attacker Jose Luis Rodriguez.

Thomas Tuchel provides update on Jarell Quansah England injury

Djed Spence provided natural cover at right-back, but the Tottenham Hotspur defender is now Tuchel's only out-and-out option in that area, following Tino Livramento's withdrawal due to injury.

Speaking to the media post-match, Tuchel was keeping his fingers crossed over Quansah returning in a few days, but it will be tight for the ex-Liverpool man to face DR Congo in Wednesday's last-32 game.

"A classic ankle twist and he is in pain. He said he had it before and it is a matter of days. He has his leg up high and in ice," the England head coach said.

"Naturally of course [I am worried about the right-back situation] - we have another injury in the position. It will be a tight race for Reece James and a tight race for Jarell Quansah but it is our job to find solutions and we will do."

Spence will be expected to start at right-back against DR Congo if James and Quansah are unavailable, but John Stones, Ezri Konsa and Trevoh Chalobah represent alternative emergency options.

How long Jarell Quansah could be out for with ankle injury

In the best-case scenario, Quansah would have avoided a proper ankle sprain, and the defender walking off the field unaided on Saturday evening was a promising sign.

However, further tests will be required to determine the extent of the injury, and a Grade 1 ankle sprain - a minor tear to the ligaments - could take one to two weeks to heal.

Therefore, Quansah is at a minor risk of missing not only the last-32 game with DR Congo, but also a potential last-16 clash with Mexico or Ecuador, and he could be facing an uphill battle to return for a possible quarter-final with Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast or Norway on July 11.

A Grade 2 issue - a partial ligament tear - or Grade 3 concern - a complete rupture - would rule Quansah out for the rest of the World Cup, but the 23-year-old has almost certainly avoided such a severe injury.

Quansah missed just seven matches for club and country through injury last season; four due to a thigh problem and three with knee irritation.