Thomas Tuchel has been urged to emulate Mikel Arteta by deploying Declan Rice at right-back when England face DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32. The Three Lions secured a 2-0 victory over Panama in New Jersey on Saturday, finishing as Group L winners and avoiding a clash with Portugal. Instead, they will meet the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who managed an impressive draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's side.
Injury concerns force tactical rethink
Tuchel faces a significant injury problem, with first-choice right-back Reece James expected to miss the match. Against Panama, Jarrell Quansah deputised but looked uncomfortable out of position and limped off with a twisted ankle. With James and now Quansah doubts, Djed Spence is the only natural, fit right-back in the squad, but former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has reservations about the Tottenham defender.
“You might see Thomas Tuchel do something very different. He might even select a midfielder to go and play right-back,” Cascarino said on talkSPORT. “It’s the position in the England team that’s totally up for grabs. Someone’s going to play there, and it might not be the obvious.”
Cascarino questions Spence's defensive abilities
Cascarino, a former Republic of Ireland international, expressed doubts about Spence’s suitability. “Obviously, Djed Spence would have been the right solution if you think of it logically. He plays right-back, or he can play left-back, so he can do that job, and it isn’t much of an issue. But he didn’t play him yesterday, unless he’s got an injury we don’t know about. Obviously, he has concerns about him.”
“He’s fast, I don’t think he’s great at one v ones like many people do, he gets caught out of position too often. He is one of them that’s so quick he can recover but if he plays against Vinicius Junior, he won’t get back to him. I watched him at Tottenham a lot last year, I always felt he’s one of them players who will give you a chance, whether it’s the positioning, whether he gets caught out and players get in behind him.”
Declan Rice as a right-back option
Cascarino then proposed a surprising solution: playing Declan Rice at right-back. “If I’m brutally honest, I would really think about playing Declan Rice there. I think he could do it. I’ve always said, Declan Rice can play centre-half, he can play midfield, and you could play him as a full-back. Steven Gerrard, you could play as a right-back, he did it in the Champions League final because he was so good athletically. Now, if I wanted someone to be able to handle someone physically and athletically, I’m looking at Declan Rice.”
Rice, who is nursing a minor injury and was rested against Panama, previously filled in at right-back for Arsenal during an injury crisis. That decision was widely criticised, with Gary Neville calling it a “really poor decision” from Arteta and insisting Rice was not capable of playing in defence.
Other candidates and upcoming match
Aside from Spence and Rice, centre-backs Ezri Konsa and Trevoh Chalobah have been mentioned as potential replacements for James. Tuchel has only a few days to decide, with England set to face DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 1.
England's World Cup campaign continues as they aim to advance further in the tournament. The round of 32 clash promises to be a test for Tuchel's tactical acumen amidst the injury crisis.
