Can England really win the World Cup with such an injury-prone and inexperienced defence?

The first thing you need to know about England's defence is that their most experienced centre-back, Stones, technically won't have a club in a couple of weeks, but that's not even remotely the biggest concern.

The presumptive quartet who are set to start against Croatia on Wednesday arrive at the tournament with a combined 136 caps. Stones, however, possesses 89 of them. Between them, James, Konsa and O'Reilly have just four tournament appearances to lean on, of which only two were starts.

In effect, what we have here, is one immensely experienced tournament defender and a trio of talented players for whom this will be their first summer as starters for their country. James, of course, is an excellent right-back - the best all-rounder in the position England can offer - while Konsa impressed for Aston Villa this past season as they won a major European trophy and O'Reilly was yet another Pep Guardiola revelation.

But look at the defences that have won tournaments in recent years, and it is age, not skill, that stands out. Italy, in the 2021 Euros, relied on the centre-back partnership of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci - both of whom were well into their 30s at the time. In 2022, Argentina relied on Nicolas Otamendi, while at the Euros two years ago, Spain called upon Dani Carvajal and Aymeric Laporte to offer a lift to Robin Le Normand and Marc Cucurella.

That is perhaps the reason that Stones, more than any other, has been trusted. The soon-to-be former Manchester City man might be a free agent, but he has been a constant for England in tournament play for almost a decade.

In fact, Stones has started every tournament match for the Three Lions since the start of the World Cup in 2018. England haven't played a major tournament fixture without him in the line up since their infamous loss to Iceland in Euro 2016. Every manager, from Guardiola to Sir Gareth Southgate to Tuchel, has clearly valued Stones' reading of the game and poise on the ball.

But is Stones fit enough to go the distance this summer? He made just 18 appearances for City this past season, and started only four games in the Premier League and Champions League from November onwards.

Stones has not been injury-free since the 2022-23 campaign, when he played a key role in City's treble triumph. Problems have cropped up everywhere, too, from his calf to his thigh and hamstring to his ankle, foot and hip. According to Transfermarkt, Stones has suffered from nine different injuries in the past three years, missing a total of 72 games as a result, and even admitted that he considered retirement when things got particularly tough.

"It was a difficult period when I said that [about retiring] and I hope I don't get to that again," Stones told BBC Sport. "We can all compare ourselves to all the people or different players, different eras and think about how their journey was or how it could have been different and I am a culprit of that - 'why are these things happening to me? It doesn't happen to other people'.

"And I really had to dig deep and I am proud of myself for being so mentally strong throughout and coming out the other end of those scenarios or situations. I feel like one of my greatest achievements is to keep coming back from those setbacks, no matter how big they are and being on top form and going back into games and playing at such a high level."

Tuchel, like many others, has suggested that match fitness is key to Stones participating in the World Cup, and speculated just a few months ago that the 32-year-old didn't need to be at his sharpest to start.

“If you come to the World Cup, you should be fit,” Tuchel said of Stones in March. “When John came [to this camp] he was fit. He did not have a lot of minutes but he has a level of game understanding. I knew that he was ready to play. So the exception of the rule meaning that he does not start a lot? I can see that because I’m a big fan. I know what he brings to the team in terms of personality, attitude and quality game understanding.".

And while James and Stones are not particularly similar footballers, they are very much alike in their inability to stay on the pitch consistently.

There is no questioning that James is - and has been - England's best all-round full-back for some time now. He is a top-quality one-on-one defender, smart passer, and excellent crosser of the ball, while his ability to play in midfield or even as a centre-back in a back three is unmatched among his rivals.

Under Tuchel at Chelsea in 2021-22, James delivered nine assists from right-back - a mark bettered only by Trent Alexander-Arnold among players of his position - and it is clear that he and the manager possess a good relationship.

"I had an amazing time with the manager together at Chelsea and I’m happy he's the boss. I’m glad to work with him," James said of Tuchel earlier this week.

Quite remarkably, this will be the 26-year-old's first World Cup, with James' only previous tournament appearance coming in the goalless draw with Scotland during the group stage of the 2021 Euros. Injuries, of course, have played a major role, as recurring knee and hamstring issues have prevented his participation in major tournaments. Before Tuchel took charge of his first games in March 2025, James had played just five minutes for his country since September 2022, so debilitating had his fitness issues been to his international career.

James did manage 29 Premier League appearances for Chelsea this past season - his most since 2022 - but there must be concerns about his ability to stay on the pitch, especially since he missed six weeks of action through the spring due to a hamstring problem.

With Alexander-Arnold left out while both Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier have retired from England duty, the drop-off from James to Tino Livramento or Djed Spence behind him is stark. It's crucial, then, that the Chelsea captain's body doesn't give up on him over the next month or so.

A new dawn is rising on England's left side. One of their biggest issues at Euro 2024 was the lack of a left-footed left-back who could offer a bit of width while Luke Shaw recovered full fitness. Trippier was the man chosen to fill in, but his insistence on constantly coming inside onto his right foot stifled England's attempts to move forward at pace, while when Shaw did return, he lacked the match sharpness required to make a full impact.

It is good news, then, that O'Reilly has emerged. The Man City defender is a typical Guardiola project - and certainly the Catalan's final positional triumph before he left the Etihad Stadium.

An attacking midfielder in his academy days, Guardiola deployed O'Reilly as an inverted left-back to great effect last season. Guardiola called upon him for his positional versatility at first, but after making 40 appearances at left-back in 2025-26 compared to just six in central midfield, O'Reilly's conversion to a more traditional defender is well underway.

Tuchel, though, is open to playing the 21-year-old in a variety of roles.

"There is no doubt that Nico O'Reilly will become a top player," he told the BBC. "His rise is amazing, to be so influential in such a short time and to create an almost completely new role of a left-back... He has the body, the skillset, talent, and the mindset. He will have a top career. I am not sure if it will be at left-back because he can play as a left, right and central midfielder. A top player."

There are, though, concerns regarding O'Reilly's suitability for such a responsibility. He has spent the bulk of his career in a team that dominates the ball and does not defend very much, meaning the early rounds shouldn't offer up anything he hasn't dealt with before. But how will he cope should be entrusted to mark players such as Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise or Raphinha in the latter stages? Going off the run-around he was given by Fede Valverde when City were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League back in March, Tuchel best hope O'Reilly is a quick learner.

And then there's the other centre-back position. Harry Maguire's omission from the squad was not only a little surprising, but also, became a little petty. Maguire went public with the fact that Tuchel had left him out before the sqad had been announced, and his family then got involved with public criticisms of Tuchel.

His exclusion was a puzzling one, in a sense. Maguire has been a consistent presence for England at major tournaments since 2018 and enjoyed an uptick in form under Michael Carrick during the back end of the year.

Still, Tuchel felt he had other options. The most obvious one was Marc Guehi, who, after a slightly awkward start, settled well at Man City following his move from Crystal Palace in the winter transfer window. Konsa, too, was well-deserving of his spot, considering Villa's Europa League success and fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Expectation was that Guehi, who started six of England's seven games at Euro 2024 and captained the side in their friendly against Japan in March, would be Stones' partner, but eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed that Tuchel has been leaning towards Konsa. When asked about his expectations as to who might be included in central defence in March, the manager namechecked Konsa ahead of both Guehi and Maguire, while the Villa man started six of the Three Lions' eight qualifying matches.

Though 28-years-old, Konsa doesn't come with bags of experience either. He has only 20 caps to his name, with his solitary tournament start coming when he filled in for the suspended Guehi against Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

An excellent reader of the game and someone whose recovery speed should offer insurance next to Stones, there is still a risk attached to Tuchel's selection of Konsa.

The counter-argument here is that England needed a refresh. That was, in some sense, Tuchel's remit. And it is how he has approached picking his squad, too.

But there is a fine line to be trodden between risk and failure. None of England's defenders are bad, but each one comes with some level of concern attached. And as a unit, there are some clear weaknesses. Whether it be fitness, form or experience, there are plenty of reasons why this could fall apart.

England are stil elite in both midfield and attack, and have a solid, experienced goalkeeper behind their questionable defence. They will, in all likelihood, control a lot of games and score a lot of goals, which should mask some defensive frailties to begin with.

But wil they be good enough when it matters most? Tuchel, after making some big decisions, will have to hope so.