FIFA has suspended England’s Jarell Quansah for two games after his red card against Mexico.
The defender will miss his team’s quarterfinal matchup against Norway and a potential semifinal matchup against Argentina or Switzerland if England advances.
Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute of England’s 3-2 victory after VAR reviewed a high tackle on Mexico’s Jesús Gallardo.
The play was originally not called a foul.
England went on to play the final 36 minutes down a man, but narrowly held on to its lead thanks to a strong defensive structure.
The Three Lions now have a potential crisis at right back, with Reece James dealing with a hamstring injury and Tino Livramento sent home with a calf issue.
If James is not back for Saturday’s quarterfinal, Djed Spence could be deployed for a third time this World Cup.
The Tottenham full back started against Ghana at left back, but moved to right back for the DR Congo match due to the aforementioned injuries.
Facing Haaland, England’s manager Thomas Tuchel could also prefer size and experience and go with John Stones or Trevoh Chalobah on the right flank.
The suspension has reopened the talk of United States star Folarin Balogun’s ability to play against Belgium.
The American striker, who was originally supposed to sit out the Round of 16, was given a suspended penalty due to the process by which the red card was given. VAR — and slow-motion replay — handed him a red after he had not been assessed any card on the play originally.
The same process was used for Quansah.
“Where does this start and where does this end now?” Tuchel said. “Can we overturn [Quansah’s red card] or not overturn it? What’s going on?
“Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that. Where does this end now? Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card. Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it is? Where does this start and where does this end?”
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Sources told ESPN that the English Football Association weighed all of its options to find a solution to the ban with the Balogun ruling as its basis.
A United Kingdom politician also asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to suspend Quansah’s red card in a letter.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
