Tuchel: DR Congo Can Make Life Difficult for Anyone; James and Quansah Nearing Return

England is set to take on DR Congo in a World Cup Round of 16 match in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon. Coach Thomas Tuchel stated his team is preparing for a tough challenge. The winner will face Mexico or Ecuador in the next round.

England manager Thomas Tuchel declared his squad is ready for DR Congo to "make life difficult for them" in Wednesday's World Cup Round of 16 clash in Atlanta.

The two teams will clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the victor advancing to face either Mexico or Ecuador in the tournament's Round of 16.

However, the Central African nation has proven to be a resilient opponent so far in the World Cup. They held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening Group K match, then suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, before securing their knockout stage spot with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, finishing as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Tuchel stated that he and his players are under no illusions about the challenge awaiting them on Wednesday afternoon:

"I think we are facing a very, very compact, very physical team, well-organized in an expected 5-3-2 formation, sometimes 5-4-1 with a diamond in the middle, especially with the ball, but without the ball – 5-3-2," the German said at the pre-match press conference.

"A compact block, disciplined defense, switching between high press and low block, very committed, very disciplined, well-prepared.

So they are very dangerous on counter-attacks, very direct in their approach to the game. They are not afraid to play long balls in behind, to turn the game into a race, into a battle for second balls.

A team that didn't concede many chances, didn't concede many goals against teams like Colombia and Portugal. So that's what awaits us. We know where we stand. We know that now is the time to find ways to win. Now is the time to buckle down. Now is the time to be patient and do what we do at the highest level.

They have the capacity to make life difficult for anyone. They did it with Portugal and Colombia. So the mindset is clear, and we are ready for tomorrow."

England enters the clash with an almost fully fit squad, with the exceptions of injured right-backs Reece James and Jarell Quansah, although Tuchel believes the duo will return to full training "very soon."

"They are getting closer and closer," he confirmed. "I saw both of them on the pitch. Due to the nature of the injury, Jarell is a bit further along than Reece, but the race was tight even to make the squad for this match. So we need to ensure we have more games. That's the main focus, and then they will be available very soon."

Jed Spence could be deployed on the right against DR Congo, while Ezri Konsa, a key member of Tuchel's squad since he took over, might shift from his standard center-back role.

Regarding his defensive options, Tuchel said: "First, I trust my players. I've been watching them for weeks, I've chosen them, and that's the essence of football. There are injuries. It's not worth being angry about it for too long and focusing on the problem. We find the solution, it's a team sport.

We would like Reece to be with us, we would like Jarell to be with us too, but at the moment they are injured, so other players will take their places, and tomorrow we will overcome this as a team, no matter what happens."