Tony Cascarino, The Times columnist and former Republic of Ireland international footballer, believes that even if Reece James recovers in time, England should continue playing Declan Rice as right-back in their Round of 16 match at the World Cup against Mexico.

Cascarino contends that right-back has been England's most problematic position at the World Cup. Reece James and Quansah suffered successive injuries, and replacement Spence struggled, delivering inconsistent performances against the DR Congo.

He noted that after Tuchel substituted Spence with Eberechi Eze and moved Rice from midfield to right-back, England's right flank improved significantly. Cascarino had previously suggested on talkSPORT that Rice could play as an emergency right-back—an opinion that sparked considerable debate at the time but has since proven to have merit.

Cascarino believes Arsenal manager Arteta has tested Rice in this position this season, and Tuchel has now adopted the solution. "When you think about it, Rice as right-back makes a lot of sense," he said.

He argues that Rice can operate in multiple positions—as a number 6, number 8, centre-back, and full-back—and elite players naturally possess positional versatility. He cited examples such as Matthäus playing centre-back for Bayern in the 1999 Champions League final and Gerrard playing as an emergency right-back during extra time in the 2005 Champions League final, both performing excellently.

In Cascarino's view, Rice possesses all the qualities needed for a right-back: excellent defensive ability, composure in one-on-one situations, adequate pace, resistance to wingers, and exceptional coverage—capable of handling large defensive areas with ease.

He particularly emphasized the chemistry between Rice and his Arsenal teammate Saka. Rice excels at providing support behind the winger, offering Saka a passing option to receive the ball back and overlapping to deliver crosses. With Rice, Saka, and fellow Arsenal player Eze on the right flank, England's overall play flows much more smoothly, and the three-man coordination directly contributed to the team's equalising goal.

Therefore, Cascarino argues that even if Reece James can return for the knockout match against Mexico, Rice should remain the starting right-back. He believes James has missed two consecutive matches, making it difficult to guarantee his fitness, and the risk of re-injury remains.

Regarding midfield setup, Cascarino said it depends on Tuchel's tactical preferences. If England want to play more proactively, Bellingham could partner with Elliott-Anderson in midfield, with Morgan-Rogers playing as an attacking midfielder, as they did against Panama.

Traducido por IA.

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