No Trump Card for England as FIFA slam Quansah with 2-Match Ban

England will head into the World Cup quarterfinals without one of their defensive options after FIFA confirmed a suspension for Jarell Quansah.

The young centre back’s dismissal against Mexico has left Gareth Southgate with a selection headache at the worst possible time.

The 23-year-old was shown a straight red in the 54th minute of England’s Round of 16 tie in Mexico City on July 5.

Quansah lunged in with a dangerous tackle on Mexico winger Jesus Gallardo, a challenge the referee deemed serious foul play.

Despite being down to ten men, England held on for a dramatic 3-2 victory to reach the last eight. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee met this week and ruled that Quansah had breached Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

In a statement released on Thursday, FIFA confirmed a two-match suspension for the defender.

That means he will sit out the quarterfinal against Norway on Saturday, and if England progress, he will also miss the semifinal. The decision ends any hopes that the Liverpool defender could play a key role in the latter stages.

Losing Quansah is a blow for a squad stretched by injuries and suspensions in the knockout rounds.

Southgate must reshuffle his backline with the tournament at its peak, and the timing could not be worse against a Norway side in strong form. The FA considered an appeal after FIFA overturned a one-match ban for United States striker Folarin Balogun earlier in the tournament, but the two-match sanction stands under Article 69.

It must be served in World Cup fixtures. Quansah’s absence removes pace and composure from the defence, qualities England needed against Mexico’s quick attackers.

For the player it is a harsh lesson on the world stage, and he will watch from the stands as his teammates chase a place in the final.